The World As They Know It
by xXxshortxXxpsychoxXx
Summary: In Georgia the gangs are naughty and the girls are skanky. What good can come from a Death Note falling into the hands of a Joker's sister and a Jack's daughter? Can she make it out alive or will she bring loved ones down with her? MattOc
1. Tell Your Kid To Get A Bit of Etiquette

**Summary:**In northern Georgia the gangs are bad and the girls skanky, and a Death Note is found by a Jack's daughter. How did it get there from Japan? How is it that the new owner already has the shinigami eyes when shes never touched the notebook before in her life? How is the notebook tied into her past? How does she manage to drag Matt and Mello into the mess of her life? What will happen to her when shes kidnapped for the notebook? Can she make it though the hell of her life in tact, or will she and the ones closest to her all perish?

**Author's Note: **This chapter is pretty much just introducing a few of the characters. As you will notice some of these characters aren't who you'd think they'd be.

Enjoy and Review for me please!

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**The World As They Know It**

**Chapter 1: Tell Your Kid To Get A Bit of Etiquette.**

'_Damn it! Should'a figured this is what he meant by _'get a job'_. The Perv!'_

She was young, smart, and had an athlete's body. Needless to say, her life wasn't a piece of cake. She lived in Northern Georgia in the United States. Many would call her end of town the 'ghetto.' No one with any common sense was found there. Or at least, that how it seemed on the surface.

Actually, this side of town was home to some of the most intelligent people in her generation. Herself included. Why they chose to live there was irrelevant to her. She was there because her brother's gang had some major headquarters in the general vicinity. She figured the only reason for her brother's installment in the gang was due to his amazing brains and strategy skills than his brawn. Whist he was decently strong and trained in in depth Kung Fu, she guessed they already had enough bone heads with brawn to last for awhile against their enemy's.

Speaking of enemy's, her brother was about to have another one if her seriously thought she was going to get a job at a strip club. And especially this one. Whilst it was the most popular in the area it also had hte highest crime rate in a radius of twenty miles. Yeah, he defiantly had too many intoxicating drugs and/or alcohol as of late.

And yet, she had always been interested in what the inside would look like. Would there be blood stains, and bullet holes everywhere? Maybe that was a long shot, but she had heard that many 'buissness' transactions had take place here, so she figured it had to be a semi- nice place.

With a huff she got out of her car and slammed the door shut after locking it up. She walked tentatively towards the entrance and pulled a lollipop out of the pouch on her belt and unwrapped it. Tossing the wrapper onto the ground and popping the sucker into her mouth. Calming her down. She sucked in the flavor of green apples and closed her eyes, enjoying the taste before she opened the door and walked into the dark club.

As she had expected the club had class. Vinyl seats for the booths and polls on each table for the entertainment. In the back there was a rather large stage with more dancing polls spaced randomly on it for shows that cost money to watch. The bar was off to her left when she walked in and was equipped with more vinyl on the stools. There was another largish stage in the middle of the room for every hour dances that she guessed only cost tips to the dancers themselves. In the back to the right there was a large spiral staircase that lead to a loft for more important quests and private entertainment. The floors were black and shined from a recent cleaning and the ceilings were high and painted black also. The lighting was perfect. Every color lights that moved to bring darkness to certain areas of the club every few seconds.

Grimacing she walked up to the bar and waited for someone to notice she was there.

"-Can't believe that creep was here again. I thought he was banned for harassing the dancers?" One of the waitresses was saying.

"I know! He hits on everyone here, which doesn't say much. It is a strip club you know. But he takes it alittle too far. We're not prostitutes you know!" A girl in a very skimpy set of laungier (sp?) was saying.

"Ahem" She cleared her throught to get their attention, "Are you hiring?"

Baffled at her presence the first girl looked her up and down before answering. ". . . Yeah. Who are you?"

"The names Eheki. Could I have an application please?" She asked politely with a faulty smile on her lips.

"When do you want the job?" The second female asked.

"I guess as soon as possible. . ?"

"Let me get the boss and see if he'll take you. What are you applying for?"

"Uh. . . A waitress I guess. If I had to I could be a dancer." Ehkei commented, pulling the sucker from between her teeth, her smile slowly fading as she thought about it. Her brother never specified what he wanted her to do. He merely said _"Go here and ask for a job. You need money of your own."_She shrugged.

The second girl ran off into a back room behind the bar.

"So. . Whats your name?" Ehkei asked uncomfortably. Even though she could see the young woman's name above her head she figured it would be better to ask. She didn't want to freak June here out. Now taking in the girls features properly, Ehkei realized she had short black hair in a _very_choppy style and a lip piecing gracing the middle of her lip. Her ears were heavily pieced as well and she wore a very revealing black tube top and a pair of skin tight jeans, with a small black apron over top of them. A tattoo peeked out of the top of her jeans on her lower back. Something that looked like maybe a butterfly with a ton of extra unneeded lines entwined with it, each line a different color. Ehkei popped the lollipop back into her mouth.

"June." She held out her hand to Ehkei and they shook hands briefly. "Why do you want to work _here_?"

"It's kind of complicated." Ehkei answered, speaking around her candy, without missing a beat. Although she did not miss June's enunciation of the word 'here'.

"Honey, ain't nothing not complicated here. Look where you are. Your in the ghetto and nothings simple here. God, I need a cig."

Ehkei smiled at her poor language. It didn't surprise her but it always amused her. She grew up here and to be honest she thought everything here was, indeed, simple. For finishing college at only eighteen the gangs here and whatever else you could think about was all normal for her everyday life. And irritatingly the same. It never changed. As the saying goes. History repeats itself. And _here_ was no different. "All the same, I'd rather not explain if you don't mind."

"Have it your way then." June retorted searching the walls for a clock. Turning her attention back to Ehkei she took her in for the first time. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "If that your real hair?"

Taken aback Ehkei answered, "Yeah, and it's not dyed, either."

"Wow, that's somethin' in'in' it? Me? Nope. Dye it every other week. Surprised it hasn't fallen out on me."

When Ehkei had no reply they fell into a silence that included each woman taking in the full effect of the other. Scrutinizing every angle possible. During this time June's friend returned with a rather tallish handsome man. He looked Ehkei up and down for a minute with a lingering glance at her chest he finally spoke in a deep attractive voice. "You wish a job here? As what?"

"Waitress, Sir. Or a dancer if that's the position you need filled." Ehkei said with forced politeness. She wasn't exactly sure how to feel towards this man yet. First of all, he was pretty good looking, but he kept looking at her chest and staring at her with an almost hungry look in his eyes. He was wearing a dark suit and dark rimmed glasses. His hair was black and rather long. His face was long but his every were rather alluring. His name was Teru Mikami. Hm. . .

"Ah. Well we're short a waitress. Lucky you and if you'd just give me your name, social, and number for records I'll give you the job."

"Really? That's it?" Ehkei asked rather shocked.

"Well, yes. If you look like you would appeal to men, then I'll hire you. You do realize this is a strip club don't you? Oh, well, you do have to be over eighteen to work here and twenty one to serve drinks, but I think I could let you slip." He winked.

"Uh, Well I'm nineteen so you don't have to worry about that. I'll just let the other girls serve the alcohol." Another forced smile.

"Very well. Follow me."

A few minutes later she was in a small office in a rather uncomfortable chair and writing down the information needed. Using her alias that she had been given by her brother to protect her. No one but him knew her real name. And vise-versa. He went by Taku Akiyama, when his real name was Jackson Leeryck.

Her alias was Ehkei Nara. Her real name was Riliyan Leeryck. Taku had given her a completely new identity, new social, birthday and everything. The only thing that didn't change was her phone number. However; only a select few people had that number, and it changed often. When ever she got into some type of trouble and the person causing the trouble had her number, it was changed as soon as possible.

Finishing, she smiled at her new employer and handed him the fake information on herself. "When do I get a uniform and start?"

"As soon as you'd like. Juney here can get you settled whenever your ready." He smiled hungrily at her again.

_'Egh. Thats so gross. My boss is hitting on me!"_

"Thanks. I'll be in tomorrow twenty minutes before opening." She forced another smile as she stood to make her exit. She shook Teru's hand when he stood as well and turned to leave. She felt his eyes on her backside until the door closed behind her. "Eweweweweweww!" She hissed under her breath as she left.

Ehkei met June outside the club while she smoked her cancer stick and got all the information she'd need to make in to work on time and what to do when she got there. If she had any problems she was to go to June immediately.

When she reached her car she whipped out her phone and pressed speed dial number three. It rang twice before a deep, irritated voice answered. "Hello?"

"Why the hell did you send me to a fucking strip club?! Are you insane?" She practically screamed at Taku.

He let out an exasperated breath. It sounded slightly amused to Ehkei. "You needed a job and that's about the only place I can have guys keep an eye on you without it looking suspicious and besides. It the easiest pace to get a job around here. As I'm sure you've realized." She could hear the smile in his voice.

"You're such a dick!" She heard him crack up laughing before she hung up on him. To calm herself she pulled out another sucker. And unwrapped it. Tossing the wrapper carelessly on the floor for it to join countless others. Sucking on the grape lollipop she switched on the radio as she drove off.

--

She glared at his computer screen furiously. _'Damn it! There's nothing here! How am I supposed to find it now? Light's going to be so mad. I just want to be useful to him. Besides being his play toy.'_Her deep blonde hair bounced as she let her fall back over her chair. She shut her eyes tightly and pouted.

The last the world saw of it was in Japan twenty years ago. When Kira was killed the Death Note disappeared. No ones heard of it since. The easy conclusion to come to was that the NPA still had it in their possession. But nope. They'd had it taken and put in the most secure bank on the planet, here in America.

Unfortunately for them, the bank was robbed. Aside from a few million dollars, the notebook was taken. The robber was never caught on film and therefore never captured. The notebook never re-surfaced after that.

Folding her arms over her chest, Misa Amane stormed out of the room.

--

He sat on the couch smoking a cigarette. Goggles shielding his eyes from the brightness of the PGS in his hands, for no other lights were on in the room and the thick curtains blocked out the moonlight.

The young man glanced away from his game for a mere two seconds to check the time on the digital clock. His accomplice was late again. Sighing he saved the game and bayed it down as he got up and grabbed his vest. He locked the deadbolt on his way from the small apartment and began the short distance to his car to go searching for Mello. Again.

As he drove he glimpsed a fight in a back alley. Chancing a look he wasn't very surprised to see Mello in the midst of it. Pulling to the curb he got out and locked the door. Walking nonchalantly towards the alley in question he stopped in it's opening.

--

Mello, sensing someone news presence he landed a punch on his opponents shoulder that knocked him sideways. Risking a narrowed glance from the corner of his eye he sees that it's Matt. Just standing there with a cig in his mouth and watching the whole thing as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. Turing his attention back to the man now regaining his balance, Mello spun and kicked his head to the ground, with a slight crack the much large man grunted into unconsciousness.

"What the hell are you doing here, Matt? I told you to stay at the apartment." Mello's narrowed eyes had little effect on Matt. And that infuriated Mello so bad. Matt was completely immune to Mello's need to be in charge and dominant over every situation.

Matt was Mello's complete opposite. He was quiet, down to earth, obsessed with video games, a chain smoker, practically hated chocolate, and spoke before thinking about it. Mello on the other hand. He was loud, had anger problems, almost always had a chocolate bar in his hand, a leader, and refused to be second best to anyone. Matt just didn't care either way. He was always so damn calm! It pissed Mello off even more.

"You were late. Thats what I'm doing here. Now hurry up." He then proceed to turn and walk out of te mouth of the ally and back to his car.

Fuming, Mello followed. His hands at his sides. "Since when do you care? I've got my bike." He said to Matt's back.

Matt waved over is shoulder to Mello. Signaling that he got the gist. Mello would meet him there.

"Hey, Mello?"

"What?"

"What did that poor sap do to you?"

"Made comments on my face and name." Mello answered angrily. "If you hadn't shown up he wouldn't be breathing."

Matt turned to face his friend. "Cool it."

Mello glared at him before he nodded and heading in the direction of a rather nice motorcycle. Pulling the helmet on he kicked the bike to life and left Matt in the dust.

Mello's scar was a touchy subject. After a horrid bomb had gone off in the warehouse he'd been keeping headquarters in exploded, he had barely made it out alive. Not to mention all the other bone heads he'd had under his power who were too stupid to run. The fire had burned the skin off the left side of him face and it traveled all the way down that side of his neck and his left shoulder. But it didn't stop there. The fire had burned off all the skin from his shoulder to his left shoulder blade and halfway down his back. I was not a pleasant memory and one he didn't like to return to often.

And his alias, Mello was a name he actually like. Even if it didn't descride him at all.

Arriving back at the apartment he hid his bike and went inside. He had a big day tomorrow. Someone wanted to meet with him and Matt at a nearby strip club to talk to them about a buisness proposition.

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**Author's Note: **If you were wondering, then yes Ehkei does have the shinigami eyes. But she didn't get them from a shinigami. She was born with them. Cool huh? I'll explain it all alter on in the story.


	2. It Wasn't Worth Fighting For

**Author's Note: **Okay, So I'm using lyrics from some of my favorite songs for the titles of the chapters. This one came form "A Cross and A Girl Named Blessed" by Evans Blue. And the one for chapter one was from "Chokechain" by 3OH!3. So, enjoy. Sorry it's not very entertaining yet. Just give it awhile, please.

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Chapter Two: It Wasn't Worth Fighting For

Ehkei walked briskly into the club. She was still unhappy that she had to work in a strip club, but after a long fight with Taku, realized things could be worse. At least this way she could be rescued if anything happened while she was working there. The only thing that made her really uncomfortable was the idea of guys checking her out and harassing her without her really being able to say no to it. After all, the girls here were supposed to be flirty and actually like the attention.

Growing up with her older brother in a gang helped her to realize that attention was definitely a bad thing. If people found out who her brother was they could kidnap her and hold her for some kind of a ransom or worse kill her to get to Taku. Yeah, attention was bad, not good.

But she had to suck it up and just make sure to watch her tongue. She had a bad habit of speaking before her brain processed her words. That seemed to get her into a ton of trouble with her brother often. And other people on the street who cat-called to her.

Sucking in a deep breath along with all her pride, she tossed her lollipop stick into a garbage can and began to hunt down June. She had successfully gotten the wright clothing for her uniform but she needed to make sure it was good enough and that she didn't have to go back and get more revealing things. But based on what June had been wearing the day before, she was sure it would suffice.

She had decided to wear a black apron exactly like June's and the tightest pair of jeans she had ever owned in her entire life (she could barley breath in them at first, no to mention getting the damned things up her legs). She wore a black tube top similar to the one June had worn but slightly longer and not as revealing of her breasts, like Junes. On her belt (which she technically didn't need due to the tightness of her pants) she still had her small pouch of lollipops, but the one she normally wore for writing utensils and a small note pad was absent. She had placed its contents in her apron and the pouch remained in her car. Her shoes were nowhere near Junes black stilettos. Ehkei wore flat black boots over top of her jeans that went up about three inches lower than her knees. She loved those boots and wore then quite often.

Ehkei wandered around the nearly empty club. It was too early for customers to be there. She headed for behind the stage, passing a few waiters pulling chairs off the tables along the way. Stepping backstage she immediately was blinded by all the lights. There were lights on the mirrors, the roof, the walls, and on the floor behind her leading onto the stage. _'So, there's a show tonight, huh?'_She glanced around and discovered June sitting the front of a dimly lit mirror in the back of the room. Walking towards her Ehkei glanced at the scantly dressed women around her. All were wearing white. And had their hair in brightly colored wigs. When she arrived beside June she noticed immediately the deep purple and blue make up she wore. Her clothing was white like the other girls here, but her wig was black, longer than her real hair and straight stiff. She had taken out all her piercings and set them on the vanity table before her.

"Wooow. You look . . ." she struggled to find an appropriate word, "nice."

"Yeah, right. I look like a cheap whore." She commented dryly plastering more cosmetics on her face.

"Do I look alright? I'm showing off enough to work here right?"

June turned to face her, "Ya look fine. But ya need to loosen up a bit. Yur all tense and stuff. Relax. If someone pinches ya in the ass, just turn and ask them if they need anything other than you with a smile. 'Kay?" She didn't wait for an answer before continuing on. "Show me yur walk."

Ehkei stared at her, dumbfounded. "My what?"

"Yur walk." she repeated standing up and walking towards her. She swung her hips in a seductive way. "Ya gotta work it!"

Ehkei tried to do as June did but felt as though she had over done it big time. She smiled sheepishly at the older girl. June studied her quietly for a minute.

"Like I said. Loosen up a bit, if ya relax it'll be more believable. It wasn't half bad but ya need to work on it a little on yur own."

"And why is this relevant?"

"Easier to flirt that way. Makes ya look approachable. Otherwise I'd say a guy would be a little intimidated by ya." Ehkei sighed at that.

"So I've been told." Her brother had mentioned it to her once. Said she had the looks but she acted too much like a guy. She'd had a boyfriend once who had had the gall to tell her something similar as well. _'Why the fuck can't you just act like a damn female for once?'_ Yeah, he was a dick and she wasn't at all sad when he had dumped her a few weeks later.

"Alright well, yur working the VIPs tonight. They're usually really easy, too into whatever kind of business they have going on to bother with the waitresses. Occasionally one will ask for some fun. The horny bastards. But since yur new ya can either flash 'em or whatever else they want, or get another girl up here to do it for ya." She smiled. "Don't come calling for me though. I got 'nough on my plate as it is. Ya can just ask Neptune to do it for ya, then. Shes workin' the bar tonigh'. Ya remember her right? The one I was with yesterday when ya came in to get a job."

Ehkei nodded. 'Neptune' had seemed kind of snotty the previous day, but if it got her out of asking like a slut then that was fine with her. "Yeah, I remember. Whens the show?"

June scrunched up her nose like she smelled something horrid. "In about a half an hour. I really hate having to step in for Courtney. She's always flaking out. It pisses me off because I'm the one who has to tell Teru she ain't in and then go and flaunt my stuff to all those pervs."

Ehkei grinned. She she wasn't the only one who didn't like it there. "If you don't like this place then why are you here?"

"Eh, pays the bills, ya know? The only thing available to me."

--

"Hurry your ass up, Matt! We don't have all damn day! We have to be there by eleven!" Mello had no idea why it took Matt so long to get ready, but whenever they - no scratch that - _he_ was in a hurry Matt took ages to get ready. And he always wore the same fucking thing too! His drawers were filled with white and black and red and black stripped shirts, jeans, and gloves. The occasional sock here and there and his underwear. other than his stupid goggles and white vest the mans outfit never changed. He'd worn the same boots for almost a year and they needed to be replaced soon.

"I know, I know! Have you seen my goggles and cigs?" Mello heard him bellow from down the hall.

Mello groaned to himself. "Forget 'em and just get your ass out here!"

"Fine, fine, coming." Matt emerged from the room at the end of the hall in a white and black stripped shirt, jeans, boots, forearm length gloves, a wallet chain and dripping wet redish brown hair. He walked out the door Mello now held open and waited for Mello to pass him before following to his motorcycle. Matt always felt weird when they took the bike. Mello only owned one helmet and he had to wrap his arms around Mello's waist to stay on the damned thing. He always felt awkward, and he was sure people who saw them thought they were gay. That bothered him the most. He would follow Mello to the ends of the earth and back, and yeah sure, he loved the guy, but not like that. Like a younger brother would to his older kin. Matt looked up to Mello and trusted his judgement with his life.

Wrapping his arms around Mello's leather-clad waist he held on tightly, but not too tight. He left some leverage so as not to freak Mello out and put him in an even worse mood than he was in already. Mello hated going to strip clubs for business. He had countless times said it was pointless and obvious that they were dealing something illegal or vise-versa. Mello felt a strip club should be used for pleasure and not money, he saw it as a distraction. Not that the women ever seemed to distract Mello though, he felt the men they dealt with were pigs and no worthy of his business, especially when they decided to meet in a place like a strip club. The only reason Mello put up with it was because it was good money and they could use a little more of that right about now.

Matt's hair was quickly tangled and dry on the trip there and he ran his fingers through it countless times to straighten it out. Mello can to a stop and pulled off his helmet in a parking lot outside of a rather large dark building. There were no windows and the place looked like it could use a little bit of work. But Matt knew different. The inside would be one of the nicest clubs around. The outside appearance was to through people off. And it worked its magic quite often. Matt and Mello had brought several of the girls who worked there home for a one- night stand. And all those women had woken up in a hotel alone. They never brought someone back to headquarters. That would just be stupid. Matt still felt guilty for a time afterwards for simply using a women like that and didn't do it often. only when he really needed a break and when Mello had been in a particular mood for a while.

As they began to walk towards the entrance Matt remembered that Mello had mentioned that this wasn't the usual meeting. He had said the man they were to meet wasn't looking for their arms dealing services, but something else entirely. Matt figured that was the only reason Mello didn't want to be too late.

--

Ehkei was on her way back down the stairwell when she felt a hand connect roughly with her ass. "Hey, cutie, why aren't you workin' my table?" She turned to see a rather rough looking gangster with a creepy yellow smile looking at her hungrily. She realized then that she would take Teru over this guy any second of any day. Even though Teru was creepy in a way, he wasn't horribly disgusting like this guy. and he seemed to be able to contain himself. But, nope, not this guy. He reached a hand up to grab her breast when she side stepped him and forced a grin before mumbling something about how much he'd regret touching her and walking off. She had come so close to losing her cool she had almost slapped him. It had taken all her stranght to just walk away. If she had opened her mouth again she was sure she'd have cussed they guy out.

"Remember not to say something like that again. No ones to know who you are." she muttered under her breath before she handed another waitress one of the VIPs orders to give to the cook. She headed back to the bar and asked one of the waiters there to get the drinks that had been ordered. Once she had then on her trey she proceeded up the hidden stairs and back up to the VIP loft so as not to run into that man again. She shuddered at the thought.

"Here you are, Sir. Is there anything else you'd like?" She smiled. The man in front of her wasn't so bad. At least, he was handsome anyway, and he hadn't looked at her like she was a piece of meat yet. He had treated her with decent respect so far tonight and she was glad to be proved wrong in her theory that all men who came here aren't all pigs.

"No, thank you, Ehkei. When my guests arrive please leave us alone. We have important things to discuss." He gave her a slight smile when she nodded and walked away to one of the other VIPs who were flagging her down.

"What can I do for you?" She asked sweetly forcing a smile but pulling it off nicely. She was already accustomed to faking it, and she had only been on the job about three hours. Or maybe it had been four? She hadn't seen a clock since she'd started.

"I'd like a little free entertainment." He smirked at her chest before looking up at her again. Ehkei noticed his lips looked like worms. Ewe. So gross.

She sucked in more of her pride and her original comment before answering. "I'll be right back then. But I'm afraid your still going to have to tip. Life isn't free buddy." She smirked again before briskly walking off and in the process remembering to slightly move her hips. She heard him chuckle as she walked away. "Disgusting bastard." When she found Neptune and told her she had a fan and that he wanted some cheap entertainment she growled lowly at her comment but walked up to the VIP section nonetheless. Ehkei followed her with the nice gentleman's order and a refill on his alcohol. Pointing out worm lips to Neptune she walked on to the nice man.

"Here you go, Sir. I hope you enjoy it. Are you finnish ed with your first glass?" He anded it to her and nodded to someon sitting in front of him. She looked over and noticed that his uests had arrived. _'oh, shit.'_ "Oh! I'm so sorry! I'll leave you alone then."

"Akiyama?" A male voice from behind her asked and she glanced over her shoulder to see a blond man looking at her curiously. His hair covered the left side of his face, but did not hide the horrid burn scar on his flesh effectively. His blue eyes were piercing and the leather he wore was like a second layer of skin. He wore a red rosary around his neck. _'Why the fuck can't you just act like a damn female for once?'_

"Mello?" dumbfounded she turned back to face him better. The lollipop in her mouth almost falling out.

"What the hell are you doing working in a fucking strip club?" He seemed shocked a slightly angry. That angered her. She could work where ever that fuck she wanted. She didn't have to have Mello's permission. Besides she hadn't heard from him in a year. He had no say in her life.

"I can work where the hell I want to Mello. That's not up to you to decide anymore. You lost that privilage." She was getting angry now.

Mello smirked. "You just never seemed like the slutty type."

Appalled Ehkei's mouth gaped like a fish,and her lollipop did fall out this time. "Excuse me? Just because I work in a club I'm a slut now?" Her nose wrinkled and flared.

Mello just smirked at her and ordered some exotic alcoholic drink for himself an the guy sitting next to him that she hadn't noticed before. She only glanced at him though. He looked decent but if he was with Mello that probably wasn't the case. When she left, she didn't walk, she stalked back down the stairs.

On her way back up to give Mello his damned drink she took the large spiral stairwell instead of the staff staircase and ran into Mr. Gangster again. This time he effectively grabbed her breast as she walked by him and she shrieked loudly over the music blasting through the speakers and spilled the drinks she had been carrying all over herself and the man grouping her.

A man walking down the stairs at the time ran up to her and helped her to stand when Mr. Gangster regained himself and began to cuss her out.

"You little bitch! What the fuck do you think you goddamn doing! Pouring your fucking drinks all over me! You little cunt! Your-" Before he could finish what he was saying the man who had helped her up turned to Mr.Gangster and punched him full in the nose. With a nice crack he stumbled back into his booth and the girl who'd been entertaining him yelped when his head landed near her on the table. He was out cold and his nose was bleeding from the break.

"C'mon. Lets clean you up." Ehkei's saviour said and pulled her up the stairwell and into the men's VIP bathroom. After checking that no one else was there he closed the door and locked it. Ehkei tensed. She hadn't been alone with anyone but her brother since Mello. And that scared her. Whilst she had loved the adventures Mello could bring to her in the bedroom, that was completely different. At the time, she had really liked Mello and enjoyed it, but if she was raped on her first day on the job in a place where her brother had thought her safest might be a little bit much. She'd never trust a man again. "I'm not going to do anything to you. I won't even touch you if that's what you want, beautiful." He gave her a genuine smile and beckoned her towards one of the benches against the wall.

She sucked in a breath and stepped forward. Tentatively she stepped around him and sat down, never taking her eyes off of him. He turned from her and picked up on of the towels on the counter and wet half of it. Wringing it out he handed it over to her to clean off her dampened skin and hair."We might have to put your head in the sink to get it out of your hair." He suggested as he studied the mess of her. She gave him a warning glance and he held up his hand in surrender. "Or you could walk around the rest of the night smelling like a drunk with sticky hair. Personally, beautiful, you wouldn't look good with nasty hair like that. You seem more like the clean type. Speaking of which, what _are_you doing working at a strip club?" Ehkei didn't miss his enunciation on 'are'.

Ehkei looked up at him when he squatted down in front of her, and took him in fully. He had gorgeous red-brown hair, and green eyes, he wore a black and white stripped shirt and a pair of jeans. He wore his old worn in boots like she did - over her pants - with a wallet chain connecting to a belt loop and disappearing into his back pocket. He was fairly pale from lack of sunlight and his teeth were stained a light yellowish color. So he either smoked or didn't brush as often as he should. She realized why he had said 'are' the way he had. This was the guy Mello had brought with him. It was _his_ drink that was now part of her uniform.

"Oh, your the guy with Mello"

He chuckled. "Yeah, I'm the guy with Mello. Matt, at your service, Miss -" He trailed off.

"Oh, Ehkei. Ehkei Akiyama."

"Miss Akiyama. It is a pleasure to have met you!" He grinned up at her again and took the towel from her when she smiled back at him. Tentatively he began to clean her skin for her since she had yet to do so herself. She let him. Though she wasn't sure why just yet. She trusted Matt. Even though she could see his real name was Mail Jeevas, she did not ask why he used an alias. She had learned to ignore it years before when people lied to her about their names. And she usually forgot their real name as soon as they left her sight.

Ehkei didn't say much to Matt as he helped her clean out her hair and gave her compliments on its texture and 'stunning color' as he put it. She was too busy wishing they would meet again. And when he left her to get back to her job and he to Mello she couldn't help wishing he'd come back.

Unfortunately, she didn't see Mail Jeevas again that night or the weeks following.

**

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**Author's Note: **So, this one was kinda long. Sorry if it was boring. Next time I'll tell y'all who it was Mello was meeting with and what about. Please be patient with me. I'll introduce Taku in person next chapter I hope, and maybe even the Death Note. I haven't even touched how Ehkei's parents died yet. Please remember that this is an AU so the every thing other than the characters and the Death Note itself is going to change. The only thing that came from the Anime/manga to this story is the investigation that took place. The people that were in that investigation are totally different people! Okay? So in other words, Light wasn't Kira, L wasn't the detective, Misa wasn't the second Kira, and Mello and Near never went to Wammy's house. However everyone is still at the same intelligence level and Mello was in the Mafia. Mello and Near still rival each other but its not as bad.

So yeah, if that was confusing just tell me and I'll re-write that. Ha ha. Anyhow. Review or I'll stab your eye out with a fork!


	3. Have To Stand Up To Be Stronger

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Death Note.  
_**Claimer:**I do own Taku, Ehkei, June, Ehkei's parents, Neptune, and Mr. Gangster.

**Author's Note: **So, I was in a big writing mood last night when I posted up Chapter two, so here's chapter three earlier than I expected. It's not very exciting but it had to be written. Things are beginning to come out and personally, I like it. The title of this chapter comes from "Pale" by Within Temptation. I think this song represents this story well. If I were making a sound track for this fic this song and the ones I've used already would be on it.

**Chapter Three: Have To Stand Up To Be Stronger**

_"Mello, I know this isn't how you work, but I need you to get me something."_

_"What kind of something?" Mello had asked, skeptical. "You know I only do weapons."_

_"Oh, this is the greatest weapon known to man kind. The weapon to beat all others. Mass destruction in a matter of seconds. The king of every weapon in history, and I want you to find it for me." He smiled. Mello glared. Matt returned and took his seat again handing Mello his drink. Glaring over the top Mello took a sip. Never taking his eyes off the man before him._

_". . And? Whats the catch? Your a smart enough guy, Yagami. Why not look for this 'God of all weapons' yourself?" Mello asked placing his cup down on the table and leaning back into the soft vinyl of the half circular booth. Mello didn't trust Light Yagami. It was because of people like him that he used an alias. A name meant a lot in this day and age. Mello had an idea as to what Light was looking for but he was sure he was off and was wrong. After all there was only a small chance Light would know of its existence. It wasn't widely known of. Only the NPA of Japan and _very_select few others ever knew of its existence. Not to mention would ever think of it as real. The idea was comical, bet the reality was deathly scary. And Mello already had an idea of where it was. But he was not sure he wanted Yagami to be it's new owner. This man was definitely a smart one. If Mello didn't agree to find it for him (so he wouldn't get his hands dirty most likely) Yagami could find it himself, and end Mello's life with a twitch of the wrist. _

_But . . Was that really possible? Only one person in the world knew his real name. And that person was by his side almost at all times. Matt, would never in a million years tell Mello's deepest secret. Unless the object in question had more ability than he ever suspected, no one would ever know Mello's real name. Therefore making him immune to the weapon in question._

_Light smirked. "You don't trust me Mello? That's rather depressing." He frowned. "How can I make you believe that if you get this weapon for me, I will feel eternally grateful and let you live?" Light looked sincere on the surface, but Mello and Matt knew better. It was all an act. And a damn good one at that. You just wanted to believe him. But Mello was trying to get over letting his feeling get in the way. They had caused him enough trouble in his life._

_"Mr. Yagami, considering my occupation, it's hard for me to trust anyone. Surely you've realized that?" Mello had a smug look on his face and Light struggled to keep his composure._

_"Very well, Can you get it or not?"_

_"You still haven't specified what 'it' is yet Yagami. I can't help you unless I have details." Now Mello just sounded ticked. Like he just wanted to get out of there. Matt looked at his friend hesitantly. Why does he suddenly look tired? Could he really think the weapon is what I think it is? That's impossible. It's only a story. No such weapon could possible be real. Its completely ridiculous! Matt had laughed for thirty minuets about such a thing. _'Does Mello really believe its real?!'

_"I think you know what it is, Mello. I want the Death Note. And I have an idea of where it is. . . Here on the East Coast of America. To be more specific, The southern area of the East Coast. I believe it could be in this very state, maybe this very neighborhood. But I'm getting ahead of myself. You could find it for me, and I can pay you more than your highest dealings added together." Light smirked. "So, how about it?"_

--

"Ahahahaha! Ta-ahahah-ku-ahah! S-st-aha-op!" Ehkei cried out as she thrashed around under her older brother's unyielding hands. He was a lot stronger than she was. And he could tickle er until the sun rose in about two hours if he wished to. But Ehkei wasn't going to let that happen. She had just gotten back from work and was feeling kind of down about some guy whom had violated her when her brother took it upon himself to cheer her up. The old fashioned way.

After a few more wiggles she finally set herself free. But she knew it was only because he had let her.

Ehkei glared at her older brother with effort. She wanted to stay angry with him. After all, it was all his fault she was working at a damn strip club. It was all his fault she had been violated, _again!_Wasn't he supposed to have guys there looking out for her? "I thought you were supposed to have guys looking out for me at the club!" She accused. When she realized she'd said her thoughts aloud she bit her tongue. And looked at Taku nervously. He sighed.

"I do. Why do you ask? Some guys been messing with you?"

Ehkei blinked and look at her shoes. They were suddenly quite interesting. She was getting a noticeable hole in the right side of the left boot. She'd have to go and get new ones soon."Not 'guys' just one." She wasn't lying. The only guy who took it over board was Worm-lips. She saw him about four times a week and every time he harassed her. It had gotten worse since her first week, when he'd merely just asked her why she always given him Neptune instead of herself, but since then he'd gotten almost as bad as Mr. Gangster had before Matt had punched his lights out. Ehkei had heard from June that Mr. Gangster had stayed unconscious for about four days after the incident.

Ehkei had also heard from June that Matt and Mello came somewhat often and usually with rather shady looking men. She figured they were selling drugs. But Ehkei knew better. Mello didn't care for drugs. Actually, it was her experience to know that he despised them. He felt he could exhilarate his senses in more effective ways than drugs. Like with sex, a shot or two of alcohol, and speed. For once June was wrong in the gossip that was going around. But Ehkei wasn't about to tell her the real reason for Mello's meeting in the club. Because then people would ask questions about how she knew and things could get out of hand.

"Who?"

"I- his names Kyosuke Higuchi. Hes a total creep and harasses everyone there. But June says he takes special notice of me lately. It's really freaking me out!" But if you kill him people will talk." Ehkei added just to make sure Taku didn't have any ideas to do anything rash to the guy.

"Do you think I give a damn if people talk? Some guys f uckin' with you, just give me the word and hes gone. Off a cliff or something if that's how you want it! You've always known you could come to me with stuff like that." His body was tense and the scar that ran down the right side of his neck and onto his chest stood out promptly on his pale skin. Without his shirt on the scar was all Ehkei could ever look at. It was hard to look him straight in the eyes lately. He was always so tense and because of his position in the gang he _would _be able to kill anyone she wanted without him having to lay a finger on the guy. All he had to do was say the word. That frightened Ehkei. When they had been kids, before his handsome looks had been ruined by scars, he had always been kind of carefree but serious and straight forward at the same time. He did whatever it took to get the job done. Although Ehkei knew that was still the case she was sure he had never killed anyone. She knew he'd shot people yes, but only to wound. He would never kill a person. It just wasn't in his nature.

For these reasons Ehkei carefully and somberly looked up into her brothers eyes. They were the exact same color as hers. A perfect mixture of blue and green. Like the coral reefs in Hawaii. She could see right into his soul. See everything he was thinking. "Jackie. You know I'd never put it on your head to take some poor guys life who probably doesn't even know hes in danger. I love you too much to tarnish your beautiful soul." His eyes softened at the sound of his old childhood nickname. Ehkei only called him that when she was completely serious and wanted him to understand her point of view on something. "I can handle myself. don't worry, I'll be alright. ." She took a few steps forward to place her hands on either side of his face. ". . I love you." She pecked the corner of his lips and cheek to get her point across. "Okay?"

It took Taku a moment to get a grip on all that she had said. "Yes, Riliyan, I understand." He pressed his face into her palm and inhaled, Ehkei closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation and the use of her real name. It had been so long since he had been able to be like this with his little sister. Their relationship had always been unique. Though he loved her as a sister, he protected her like she was a lover. She was the most important thing in his life. Since their parents had died he had nothing to live for but her. His only tie to life. If she were gone, he'd die. "I love you, too."

--

Ehkei walked into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. Walking over to her closet she finally decided to look through the box her mother had left for her. It had sat at the top of her closet for seven years collecting dust. She had never once had the guts to go through it, but felt now she was ready.

As she removed the lid she thought about her mother. She didn't remember much, her memories were fading but one in particular stood out in her mind now when she thought about her,and she couldn't even figure out what it meant. Not then, and not now.

_'Sweet heart?' When A small Ehkei had looked up at her mother confused, she continued. 'I love you. Don't ever forget that!' the beautiful woman had kneeled down and given her a tight hug. Squeezing her tightly. 'No matter how much it may seem like I don't latter on, please remember, you and your brother are my pride and joy. You will grow up and become wonderful people. So different form me and your father. your relationship with him is strong. Don't ever lose sight of your love for him. He will go through rougher times than you, my dear. Trust me on this. The battle inside him is much different than when I pray yo will ever have to go through.' She paused for a moment and Ehkei had taken it as a chance to speak._

_'What are you talking about momma? I'm scared!' Ehkei snuggled into her mother's embrace._

_'It's okay sweetie. I know. But I need you to do something for me.'_

_'W-what is it?'_

_'I need you to swear to me that in the future, after I'm gone, and you don't need me anymore, that you won't hate me. . . For the things I've done. . .To keep you and your brother safe.'_

_'Mommy I'm scared! What are you talking about?!'_

_'Just swear to me okay!?' Ir was more of a demand and her voice had become slightly harsh. Tears began to leak from both female's eyes._

_'But Mommy, your scaring me-'_

_'Please, Honey!-' Ehkei's mother had pulled away then to look at Ehkei's face. '-I need you to promise me. . .'_

_Ehkei had stared at her fora moment, trying to understand, and when she replied 'Okay, mommy, I swear I won't hate you.' her mother had slouched forward to lean her head against Ehkei's chest and began crying. Big full tears came from her eyes and she sobbed until her daughter had told her it was all going to be okay. at that point she had looked up at her and smiled._

_They never spoke of it again. And then Ehkei's mother died a few months later from heart failure._

Whipping a stray tear from her eye she shifted through the dusty contents of the box. There were old love notes from her father to her mother, and beautiful jewelery that she had never seem her mother wear before. Old note books from her college years that she had doodled all over this must have been where she had gotten her love to draw from), there was a dress there too. A knee lenght white sundress that was lacy at the bottom and top around the bust that dipped a little low. Laid neatly on top of it was a picture of her mother and her father. Her father was in a really nice tux and had his hair pulled back and out of his face. Her mother was wearing the dress and her hair was almost the exact same style as Ehkei's was now. A bob cut about an inch and a half lower than her chin, bangs just long enough to hide her eyes behind if the time called for it, it was cut in two layers, and it was a very unique white blond color. Not quite white, but in the right lighting, you could tel it was defiantly a blond color.

Ehkei smiled. This must have been their wedding picture. They stood with their bodies half facing each other half towards the camera, they finger inter twined together near their chests, but their faces were looking towards the camera. Stunning smiles on each of their faces.

When Ehkei lifted the dress out of the box and laid it down on the bed she glimpsed something black and rectangular underneath of it in the bottom of the box. Walking back to the box she noticed some type of book was half hidden underneath a thin sheet of cardboard. The cardboard had clearly been glued to the side of the box and was a bad attempt to hide this notebook. Ehkei ripped it out of the box and pulled out the black book. Before she could flip it over to look at the front of it, a small note fell out of the bottom.

Forgetting the book for a moment, she grabbed the note and opened it. It was a hand written letter addressed to her. Crinkling her nose she recognised her mother's hand writing at once and began to read.

_My Dearest Daughter,_

_You promised me you wouldn't hate me for the things that had to be done. I'm holding you to that promise._

_By now I'm sure you've found the notebook. Please keep it safe. If that book were ever to fall into the wrong hands. . . I shudder at the thought. You must keep it a secret. Even from your brother. I know it sounds ridiculous, but you must trust me._

_When you meet Ryuk, tell him who you are and how we are related. He will be able to tell you why you are so special. How you can see peoples names over their heads along with their lifespans. He may be a little frightening at first, but do not worry, my dear. He will not harm you unless you give him a reason too._

_Your father and I love you dearly, Riliyan, even though it may not seem like it anymore, he really loved you._

_All My love,_

_Jackelyn Leeryck_

"What the -" Ehkei stared at the small paper confusingly. Reading it over a few more times she then glanced back at the little black book on the floor where she knelt. "Whats so bad about a book, momma?" Hesitantly she picked it up. When nothing significant happened, she flipped it over to it's front.

'_Death Note?_' Ehkei couldn't stop herself from laughing. "Is this a joke?" Flipping it open she began to read the inside cover.

"**Death Note: How to Use It.**

- The human whose name is written in this note shall die.

- The note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected.

- If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the person's name, it will happen.

- If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack . . ."

With each line her expression was more and more amused. This was some kind of last laugh from her mother, right? But, why then, did her mother put on such a charade even after her death? No, there must be some other meaning to it then, something only she could see, or do. Otherwise, why not tell her brother about it?

That one was easy, because Taku was in a high position. Her mother must have known he'd get there.

She must have known that if Taku had had this notebook (if it worked anyway, and wasn't some big hoax) he would use it for his gang. To get into a higher position, to eliminate anyone in his way. Or in hers for that matter. Taku probably wouldn't even flinch when he used this. And if someone in his gang found out about it, it was all over for the Death Note.

She would have to try it out and see if it was really real. If it was, who would be her guineia pig? She couldn't just kill someone off for an experiment. However she was still skeptical that it even worked in the first place. If she were to do this, she would have to do it to someone truly despicable. Someone who was practically the scum of the earth.

Suddenly she knew who she would use. He was disgusting, perverted, and he harassed women. He had taken it way too far. Kyosuke Higuchi would pay for fucking around where he had no business. This wasn't only for her, but all of the women at the club. No one could possible miss that scum. Right? So it was okay? No, it wasn't but, she had to know what she was dealing with. This could be the biggest thing to ever happen. If it was, she now knew why her mother wanted her to keep it secret. If someone knew she had it, she would surely suffer a horrid fate.

Flipping a few more pages she looked over the neatly written printed names, to see if she knew any of these people. Her mother sure had used this thing well.There were about three full pages of names already written in her neat hand. She turned to the last one and skimmed those names to. When she reached the last two her heart skipped a beat and her air ways seemed to constrict.

_'Ryan Leeryck and Jackyln Leeryck - heart attacks - 12:30 AM. Death in sleep.' _Was written in the same neat hand that matched the letter she had found prior to opening the notebook. Ehkei was so shocked she stared at the words for a full twenty minutes before she realized the sun was coming up.

She didn't realize she had been crying until put her face in her hands and felt the hot, salty liquid on her skin. She sobbed harder and harder. Her mother had killed herself after murdering her father. According to the rules of the Death Note it was possible to shorten your own life using the Note. But the question that got her was . . . Why? Why kill yourself and your husband and leave your two young kids alone in the world? With only each other?

Her mother left her here by herself, with no one to run to with her problems. Sure, she had Taku, but she couldn't very well run to him about guy problems. When she had been with Mello she had wished desperately for her mother to come back to her, so she could ask her advice. But she had never come. And without any female friends at the time, Ehkei hadn't had anyone to run to for help. No one could replace her mother, and she hated the fact that her mother had willingly left her.

--

Matt's face was lit by a computer screen, and his PGS. He was on level eight and he just could not beat it. Frustrated he hit another button and kicked the villain in the side, the villain kicked back and added a spin kick to Matt's neck and he died on the spot. Groaning Matt turned the game off and tossed it to the other end of the couch.Ever since he had meet Mello's ex-girlfriend he had not been able to beat a single game. It was really beginning to piss him off.

What was it about her that drove him so crazy? He'd barley said fifty words to her and she was all he could think about. He couldn't even beat one of his old games that he'd beaten ten times before due to his lack of concentration! Her big blue eyes here all he could see in his head. And her cute unique hair. Her charming hesitant smiles, and her body was one to beat. Perfect. Her breasts were just the right size. The perfect size to cup in one of his hands and have just a little extra left over. She had small strong arms and athletes legs. From what he could tell, they were nicely toned. Her stomach was flat, but the slight contours of her abs did not go unnoticed. And her ass. Ah her ass. Perfect size. There, but not too ample. Tight and like the rest of her, muscled.

He could drown himself in her body. And what pissed him of even more was that Mello had gotten to her first. Before Matt had hooked back up with Mello at that. He had never mentioned her to him and he didn't seem any happier than usual to see her three weeks prior. He had seemed pissed actually. Matt had figured it was because one of his girls was working at a strip club and showing her body off to the world. But Matt didn't see why that would matter to Mello. After all he had had quite a couple one night stands from that particular club before. It had never seemed to bother him that the girl he was screwing had probably been around town before.

Sighing Matt leaned his head into his palms. Which had been resting between his knees. He had to see her again. But first, he needed to find more out about her. Since he was sure Mello knew a decent amount of information about her, he decided to take his chances and ask Mello about her the next time the opportunity arose.

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**Author's Note:**Please don't get freaked out about how Ehkei and Taku ask together. They just have a slightly intimate relationship is all. They don't enjoy each other sexually in anyway. However, I'll explain to you later why they started acting that way, all you need to know it that it makes their relationship a lot closer.

So There's a Death Note now. yay! And Matt's starting to feel things he probably shouldn't. Hmm? Whats gonna happen? Or better yet, what already did happen? With her parents.

Hmm something to ponder.

Review or I'll cut your heart out with a very rusty chainsaw! Got it?


	4. A Shadow That Moves

**Disclaimer: **_I Do Not Own Death Note!  
_**Claimer: **_I Do Own Taku, June, Ehkei, Neptune, and the Untouchable Royals. I made that gang up so I wouldn't get in trouble for using a real one._

**Author's Note: **So, this chapter had to be written, but it's not very exciting, well it wasn't to write anyway. The title came from the song "Halloween" by Aqua. Awsome song, you should check it out!

**

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Chapter Four: A Shadow That Moves

Mello sighed. He sat on the top of a wrap around couch with Matt by his side on the cushions playing his games. He had agreed to help Yagami, but on one condition. Light had hesitated in agreeing and that made Mello even more suspicious of Light's intentions.

Mello had made Light swear to him that if he found the book for him, he was not allowed to harm the previous owner in any way shape or form. Mello knew he and Matt were safe from whatever Yagami had planned, but he couldn't be 100 sure yet.

When Matt had come and asked information on Ehkei Akiyama it hadn't surprised him. In fact he was wondering what took him so long to ask. Matt's unfocused aura had not gone unnoticed. Although he could tell Matt had indeed tried to cover it up.

Mello had thought he had had an idea as to who had the notebook. And when Higuchi died of a heart attack while harassing one of the dancers at the club he had met Yagami at he knew it had to be someone who ha had the last straw. Someone who worked there. Undoubtedly it had to be a female, or possibly and angry lover? He didn't really believe much in the last one. There was only a small percent that that was the case. And due to the research he had conducted on the notebook, he was sure, that the previous owner was now dead.

With a history like the Death Note did, he was sure that the death of the owner was due to someone coveting it. And from his research he also concluded that the coveting person did not get their hands on it.

He had found that for about four years men in a certain gang were dying of heart attacks. Those deaths usually only helped one man move up in rank, but occasionally there was a death that helped another young man. Whom at the time, was barely a teenager.

Yeah, Mello was 90 certain that the previous owner of the Death Note was Jackalyn Leeryck. But the question was, where did she leave it? Did she leave it to one of her kids? A friend? Did she destroy it?

No. Jackalyn and Ryan Leeryck both died in their sleep from cardiac arrest on the same night, more than likely at the same time. No one had gone into too much detail on the subject. They weren't very important people anywhere but within the gang realm. He was fairly certain that her name would be found in the Death Note somewhere. Along with her husbands. The notebook was still in good condition he was sure. Unless whom ever had found it after Jackalyn passed on had destroyed it. Mello, felt however that it was in tact though. Higuchi had been in perfect condition when he'd died. Which brought him back to square one.

The only person whom had ever been in acquaintance with Jackalyn Leeryck that works at that club, is her daughter. The woman Matt was currently infatuated with, and the woman Mello had once been quite taken with, and the sister of a certain Joker in the Untouchable Royals. Oh yes, Mello was certain the young Miss. Leeryck was indeed the new owner of the notebook.

"Matt."

"What's up?" he answered back in a slightly dazed way. Mello smirked. He could use this. If he could get Matt in with Ehkei maybe she'd reveal the notebook. And if she does, Mello becomes a rich bastard. If that is he decided to give the Death Note to Yagami. He had agreed to look for the weapon, yes, but he wasn't sure he was willing to give it up to Light or not.

"We're going to see Ehkei. But first we need to watch her movements. Be careful she doesn't see you just yet. There will be a time and place for that eventually." Matt looked up at Mello with a glimmer of hope in his goggle-shaded eyes. Mello smirked down at him. He hated taking advantage of Matt's feeling like this, but he was sure Matt wouldn't mind. As long as he got to see her.

--

"He's here!" June hissed under her breath teasingly. Her eyes were narrowed at the young woman in front of her.

"Who's here?" Ehkei asked. Clearly dumbfounded. In her head she wished it was Matt, but knowing June, it might just be some cute guy who'd had his eye on her before.

"The guy whose drink ya were wearing yur first night!" She said with a 'duh' expression. Ehkei's heart skipped a beat at the words.

"Really? Matt's here?" It was all but evident in her voice that she was getting excited. "Are you sure it's him?"

"I think so. Reddish hair, average height, toned, green eyes, boots jeans and a stripped tee? If so, then its probably him, Hun. But he's wearing the ugliest vest I've ever seen in my life. And . . . goggles it looks like. Does he smoke?"

"Uh . . I'm not sure. He might? Where is he?" She searched the crowd behind June but didn't see anyone particularly eye catching. Just the usual pervs.

"He's up on the loft. I saw 'im dancing with some chick." She took the empty cups off her tray and began to refill them. "Never seen her 'round here before. But he didn't see interested in her much. He was defiantly putting the moves on her, but he didn't look like he was into it. He was looking around the crowd. Looked like he was serchin' for someone." She nudged Ehkei in the side with a wicked smirk. "I could give him a message for ya." She suggested, putting the drinks back on her tray and holding it up over her head.

Ehkei shook her head. "No, let me find him and make sure it's him first. Then I'll talk to him myself." She put her own tray down and pulled out a sucker from her pouch and took off her apron, for it to rest on the counter of the kitchen. Once it was in her mouth she left the bar and headed for the stairwell. It wasn't her night to serve the VIPs but she was going to take the risk to see if she could find Matt.

When she was about four stairs away from the top step she looked up at the landing where couples were dancing heatedly. She stopped and searched, still on the stairs. She caught a glimpse of red hair in the revolving light but didn't see it again a moment later. She stared st the general area she had seen it. Her heart pounding relentlessly in her chest. It was all she could hear. Her heart drowned out the music blacking from a speaker a few stairs below her. Time seemed to slow, and then she saw him.

Matt caught her eye at the exact second she caught his. His expression unreadable beneath his goggles. His arms were around a brunette's waist as she rubbed her ass against his groin. A cigarette in his mouth, and gloves on his hands, he completely stopped what he was doing. He only had eyes for Ehkei. His partner didn't seem to notice, for two seconds later the crowed was between the again and she lost sight of him.

Shaking herself out of her daze she ran up the last steps and into the dancers. She looked frantically about her to find him, but it was too late. He was gone. No where to be seem. It made her wonder if she had even seen him at all. Someone in front of her asked her to dance with him and she robotically said yes. He wasn't a bad dancer and from the glance she had caught of him, he wasn't ugly. But when he grabbed her ass and turned her around to face him she almost slapped him. Bottling up her emotions she smiled up at him and ground her hips to his in a way that was sure to cause him a little pain. He pulled her closer to him and breathed in her ear "So that's how you like it huh?" He ground against her rougher than she had him.

Dumbfounded she looked away from him and continued dancing. No one would notice if she wasn't working every second of the night. She poured herself into that dance. Not realizing how much she needed to let loose. She hadn't _let_a man touch her like this since Mello. An she secretly wished Matt saw her with this man and was jealous.

When the dance ended she went back to work and her partner found some other slut to dance with. _'Was that really Matt? Why did he just vanish like that? Did I do something wrong?'_

--

Matt leaned against the stall door and let out a sign of relief. She'd seen him, but he'd gotten away just in time. His poor partner was left there on the dance floor all on her own while he was sitting in here praying Ehkei wouldn't come and look for him where they had spent their previous meeting. But Matt was sure that little number had already moved on to bigger and better things. Not that that bothered him. She had only been a ruse for him to blend in while he searched for Ehkei.

Mello had told him that he needed to find her and keep his eyes on every move she made. He was to follow her home and make a stake out, because she had off for the next three days. While Matt had been thrilled to see her again, he had been disappointed that he was not allowed to speak to her. He felt like a dirty stalker.

Letting himself out of the stall he had cowered in he straighten up and brushed himself off. Now time to find her again and see what happened. He'd have to be more careful. She had seemed like she had been looking for him. Like she knew he'd been there.

Gah! She was so confusing. Even when he'd been helping her to clean up she had been a little on edge. But her smiles had looked genuine. It must have been the job getting to her. After all she had just been seriously groped right before he had come to her rescue. He wondered how long she had put up with that before he'd come. How long had she worked here? She didn't seem the type to put up with it for much longer. Hell, she didn't seem the type to put up with it period!

Stepping out of the bathroom Matt looked about cautiously. Ehkei was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't mean she wasn't hiding in the shadows somewhere. Searching the crowd he caught a glimpse of her dancing with some brawny guy. It was rather heated if you asked Matt, and he wasn't sure he could stomach watching it. So, he pulled out a cigarette and began to smoke it - there in the No Smoking VIP section - to calm his nerves.

When she left to leave, Matt made sure she was out of sight and went up to her dance partner. "Yo, Man whats up? Can I speak to you? It's really important. You'll understand once we're out side. Can't talk around all these people, ya know?" Matt gave a slight smirk. The guy looked at him for a minute and decided to probably couldn't hurt to see what Matt was talking about. He followed Matt out a back door and into a alley. Matt leaned up against the wall and looked the man u and down.

He had a buzz cut and brown eyes. Somewhat brawny, but nothing too spectacular. He wore a beater, loose jeans, and combat boots. The only piece of jewelry he wore was an old black leather watch. He had a tattoo of a star nder one of his eyes. There was a sense of domanice about him. A fierce power that told men not to bother and women he was the way to go. Matt had a feeling that he beat his women and had probably raped once or twice. But who was he to judge? He was an arms dealer.

Taking another puff of his cigarette Matt tossed it to the ground and stomped it out under his thick boots. He leaned forward grabbed the man by his shirt and brought up his other fist for him to see. "Touch my girl again and I'll kill you!" Matt's face was suddenly hard and he looked positively deadly. Even with his goggles on. Matt's fist connected with the man nose and he heard it break cleanly. Blood spurted from it and Matt jumped back gracefully to dodge the thick, salty stream.

"You bastard!" The man yelled, clutching his nose. "I'll fucking kill you!" He bellowed angrily.

"I'd like to see you try." Matt chided the man childishly. Matt knew there was a chance he'd get his ass kicked. This man was a few inches taller and had more muscles, but Matt was fairly sure he had no idea how to fight the right way. Matt had learned his stuff from an old mentor, who went by the name L, along with Mello. He could dodge like no tomorrow and land a kick anywhere on this guys body with deadly accuracy. Matt was confident this man was no threat to him.

It had been so long since Matt had had a good fight and he was hopeing this man would let him down.

The man launched himself towards Matt, aiming to tackle him to the ground, but Matt was slimmer and faster. He dodged easily and the man stumbled to gain his balance back. Cursing he aimed a small spin kick at Matt's mid thigh to knock him down. Matt crouched to the ground - one leg extended out to his side whilst the other was tucked neatly under him - before the kick came and leaned underneath it, grabbing the man's ankle as it passed over his head. Matt stood quickly and spun the man's leg at a risky angle, threatening a break. He gasped in pain. The man began to loose his balance and took it as an opportunity while Matt's hands were occupied. He punched Matt in the stomach. Matt tightened his hold on his leg and grimaced from the pain burning in his gut. But he did not cry out, he held it in and with all his might pulled the man's leg out of it's socket, and while the man yelled in pain he, fractured it. Dropping the man to the ground of the alley he stood and massaged his stomach tenderly. It throbbed in pain and Matt grimaced when he his a soft spot. Wrinkling his nose he muttered something about him learning his lesson for touching his woman.

With a final look of disgust he turned on the spot and reentered the club, not a drop of blood on him.

--

Ehkei walked to her car calmly. Her mind somewhere else. She wondered about ow tonight went. Not too bad. No incidents really. The man she'd danced with groped her only because she had pretty much given him permission. That was just how people danced these days.

But she didn't dwell on that long, after all the only reason she'd danced with him was to get her mind off of Matt. She had come to the conclusion that her adrenalin riddled brain had made her see what she had seen. Matt wasn't really there.

Sighing she pulled out another lollipop and began to suck on it. She had started this horrible habit after a realizing that cigarettes were bad for her. She had needed something to keep her lips busy so she had taken to lollipops. They were amazing things really. So she ate them for enjoyment now. She was over her nicotine addiction and didn't really need the candy on a stick anymore, but she chose to eat it anyway. It helped calm her nerves. It was better than chewing on her nails like her mother had done.

Driving in her car was nice. She pulled off her apron when she came to a stop sign. Looking around she drove on. Glancing in her rear view mirror she noticed a rather nice looking red sports car behind her. It was about one hundred yards away from her. The vehicle's windows were tinted and in the darkness it was impossible to see the drivers face. So no luck finding a name. Grinding her teeth together she took a sudden right and when she found an alley she turned down into it before the pursuer could see that she had taken a back alley. She turned off her lights and turned around in her seat slightly, keeping her seat belt on. Che cut the ignition so he couldn't be able to hear her there either.

Her pulse quickened and she pulled her bag closer to her. She pulled out a pen quick and her home made note pad, consisting of seven pages of the Death Note cut into matching pages. It looked like any old notebook that you'd find in any convienent store. Her eyes began to sting when she refused to blink them.

A few minute's passed and no one passed by her little alley. Letting herself breath a little she relaxed slightly. Was it a false alarm? She wasn't sure but that car had just had danger written all over it!

Placing her pen and pad back into her bag she turned her car back on and decided to take the back way to her and her brother's place.

"Yo, Taku! I'm home. Where are you?" she asked when he didn't reply immediately. Pursing her lips she grabbed a baseball bat from behind the door and slowly made her way around the living room. Seeing no cause for threat there she made her way down the one narrow hallway. She checked the bathroom first, then her bedroom, raising her bat higher, her pulse racing she nudged Taku's door open last. He lay on his bed naked, with a _ve_rythin white sheet covering only his ass since he lay on his stomach. He was snoring lightly. Letting out a relieved sigh she dropped the bat and placed her hand over her heart. Leaning against the doorway she looked to the ceiling and thanked her lucky stars that he wasn't lying in some ditch somewhere dead.

Taku grunted in his sleep and began to roll over. Sheilding her eyes she tossed a heavier quilt over him and shook his shoulder. When his eyes fluttered open she smiled at him. "Well good morning sleeping beauty! I just wanted to let you know someone was following me earlier on my way home." When he looked appalled she added, "Don't worry! I shook him off me and took the long way." She held up her hands as if to surrender before the war started. "I just though you should know." With that she walked back towards the door. "Oh, and put some underwear on please!"

When she entered her room again, she pulled out the Death Note from it's hiding place under the loose floor board under her bed, and began to write a few names. Just a few creeps that the girls and June had been complaining about. She had witnessed herself that one of the men had almost raped poor Courtney the other day and she had just gotten close enough to read the name above his head today.

When she finished she wrapped the book back in a white cloth and placed it into an intricately carved shallow, wooden box and placed it back under her floor board. Getting up she put on fresh clothes that didn't expose her body she laid back down on her bed. Resting her head on her arms she began to think things over. Her life had hanged so much since her mother had died.

Her relationship with Taku had become stronger, and closer. Her living style had changed drastically, from home cooked food, to having to cook for herself and Taku, she had had to learn everything on her own.She had had to learn ow to do all the other house hold chores and help Taku keep his stuff cleaned up. She had started smoking and after two years quit using the lollipops. She had had only one boyfriend, Mello. And without a mother to help her through it rushed the relationship and had a pregnancy scare, that Mello knew nothing about. She had become tougher. To protect herself and her belongings. She had been in quite a few impressive bar fights with a few women on her at once. She had grown into herself, become a woman. She had finished school with flying colors. Leaving high school with her diploma at only fifteen, and college a year ago at eighteen. And now she had a job as a waitress in a strip club, where it was rare not to have some drunk guy grope you.

Sighing she rolled over and looked over her room. When her eyes hit the corner she let out a terrible shriek of horror and backed into the wall behind her. She pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly. "What the fuck are you!? How did you get in here?"

The thing laughed. It was feet taller than her and it hunched it's back. It's mouth was like that of a clown and it reached from ear to ear, parted slightly showing sharp, jagged teeth. It's irises were red and it's pupils yellow, they were rimmed in black. It's hair stuck out in the back and fingers were like claws. He hovered above the ground slightly and was wearing all black. It's belt held a chain and a pouch the belt buckle slightly large. It's neck looked like it was sowed onto it's body. It wore a decent amount of jewelry and had one ear ring in. "My name . . Is Ryuk. I am the Shinigami that owns the notebook under your bed." It pointed to the floor under her.

Realization hit her. Her mother had mentioned Ryuk. She had told her not to fear him and to tell him who she was. She had said he could answer her questions. "Uh, Shinigami? I am Riliyan Leeryck, the daughter of Ryan and Jackalyn Leeryck. I am told, you can help me." She loosened her grip on her legs and let them fall to the bed.

Ryuk laughed. "Ah, Yes, I can see that. I've heard about you. Your a big topic in my realm. Everyone says you have the eyes."

"Th-the eyes? What does that mean?"

"The eyes of a Shinigami. It means you can see a human's name and remaing lifespan above their heads, just by looking st their face." Ryuk explained.

"They eyes of a . . Shinigami? But how is that possible? I'm human!" She moved closer to him. "Won't you come closer?"

Ryuk walked over to her and leaned down further to look her in the eyes. "Your mover obtained the notebook when she was pregnant with you. She made a deal with me to get the eyes of a Shinigami, standard rule that I give her the opportunity for this deal when she obtains the notebook. Having been pregnant with you, you obtained the eyes as well, however your lifespan has not been tampered with. Your mother's life was shortened but, not yours."

"Ahh, I see. Ryuk, why can I not see my own life span? I have never been able to do so."

"That is because you have no need to see your own lifespan. You can not see someones life span if they have own a Death Note either." He said holding up his finger to make a point.

Sitting up straighter Riliyan sighed. "So, I'll have these eyes even after I give up ownership of the notebook right?"

"More than likely. You were born with them. They'll stay with you until you die."

"Will my childeren have these eyes as well?" She wanted to know as much about her eyes as possible. She had known no one else had had eyes like her, but she had never dreamed that she had gotten her eyes from a God of Death before her berth.

"Unfortunatly, we're not sure. It's hard to say, it may be passed on through genetics but we Shinigami certainly hope not." He laughed again. "Now, I should tell you that your never going to get rid of me I am here until the day you die or relinquish ownership of the notebook, and that anyone who uses the Death Note can neither go to heaven nor Hell. No one but you can hear or see me unless they touch the notebook."

Ehkei grimaced. No she was going to have someone else following her around too. Just great.

"Ehkei? Who are you talking to in here?" Taku knocked on her door and opened it to stand in the doorframe. He looked about suspiciously.

"No one." She blinked. She could tell Taku didn't believe her.

"Talking to yourself now?" He walked over to her closet and opened it, while searching through it he said, "I know I heard you talking to someone. Your the sane one in the family so I know you weren't talking to yourself."

"Show him the notebook."Ryuk suggested. "He is your brother after all. Doesn't he deserve to know what your doing behind his back?" Ehkei threw him a deathly glare and glanced at her window. She saw a shadow on the left side of it. Kind of like a person was standing there. She blinked and it was gone. _'What the fuck?'_

"No ones here, Taku. You can search all you want to. Your not going to find anyone." He turned back to her at that and closed her door.

"So, tell me about your little stalker then. You said someone had been following you?" He raised a brow at er as he made his way over to her bed and stretched out on it behind her. He was slightly too long for it and his feet dangled over the end. Ehkei turned around to face him.

"I don't know what he looked like, his windows were tinted and he was too far away for me too see anything in the dark. But he was in a red sports car."

"Hmm. . . Doesn't really help. But then again, who do we know that drives a red sports car in these parts?" He brought a hand up to massage his temple as he thought. "Nope, no one comes to mind." He gave her a sideways glance. Reaching up he pulled the strawberry sucker from her mouth and studied it for a second before popping it into his mouth. "Can't believe you _still_ eat these things twenty four seven." he mumbled to himself.

"Hey, you! That was mine! It was my favorite flavor too." She outed before pulling another out of her night stand and unwrapping it before it was in her mouth. Ryuk laughed behind her. With her back turned she had almost forgotten him there."Hey Taku? Do you ever think about how mom and dad died?" She asked in a small voice as she studied her hands.

Taku looked at her for a moment before looking up at her stained ceiling. "I try not too. They left so suddenly. . ."His voice trailed off. "Why?" he looked t her again, studying her reactions.

"No reason." She spared him a somber glance before examining her toenails. "I just always thought it was weird that they both died on the same night, at the same time, the same way." She looked at him.

Taku's brow furrowed at the thought. Pulling his candy from between his teeth he sat up on his elbows and took her chin into his hands. "Don't think on it too hard, Riliyan. It's not worth it to dig in the past. It can't come to anything good."

She looked into his eyes and tried to see if he realy meant that. "Yeah, I guess so." She said when she found nothing. She trailed her eyes down to his scar and she unconciouly placed her fingers on it. "I just wish things could go back to the way they were, you know?" Her eyes began to sting and she forced herself to swallow her tears. She hated showing weakness.

Taku's eyes softened and he placed a hand over hers. "There was nothing anyone could do. As for now, you know we can't just up and leave." She nodded. Knowing that they could was in a body bag. You couldn't just quit being in a gang. The only way out was through death.

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**Author's Note:**So, that was chapter four, hope you liked it. That's for the reviews! Ths chapter wouldn't be up so soon if it wasn't for it! Your wonderful and I'm glad you like my characters.

So, If you want a happy Author (which means good story and updates quickly) then I suggest you fucking review! Excuse my french.


	5. I See Your Face And I Can't Breath

**Disclaimer: **_I Don't own Death Note!  
_**Claimer: **_I Do Own Taku, Ehkei, June, Neptune, The Setting, And The Gand The Untouchable Royals._

**Author's Note: **So, this is chapter five bitches! **_WARNING!! LIMEY!!_** Finanly right? No, Its not a full lemon and you'll find out why when you read it, duh! Have you guys noticed that ,my chapters are getting longer and longer? This is the longest yet with just below 5,800 words. Crazy huh? Title comes from "Dare4Distance" by NeverShoutNever. Awsome guy he is. lol Good song. Anyhow, enjoy this one will yea?

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Chapter Five: I See Your Face And I Can't Breath

Over the next week Ehkei took note of the suspicious moving shadows that followed her everywhere she went except work. Which didn't say much. It was easy to hide from someone in a crowd when you have no idea what said someone looks like. Her stalker was using the shadows well. She only ever got an outline of his body. She was sure it was a male, because she had been followed on a motorcyle the previous day. She didn't believe it was different people. She wasn't sure why though. But her mother had always told her to trust her instincts.

Ryuk was no help in this situation either. He refused to give out information. Though he did admit to her that her stalker was begining to freak him out. He felt like someone was staring at him all the time. Whenever Ryuk shuddered, Ehkei knew he was there somewhere. At these times she made it a point to either hide in a crowd, shut her blinds, or roll up her car windows and take an unexpected turn.

It her stalker didn't know that she knew she was being followed, then he was, to say the least, an idiot! She made it quite obvious that she knew he was there. She was begining to think that it was someone else from some rival gang who had figured out her connection to Taku and thought they could use her as a barganing chip. But it wasn't like they had gone to great lengths to cover up anything suggesting they were close. They lived together after all and all you had to do was look at them to tell they were related somehow. Only an idiot with more brawn than brain wouldn't notice the similarities.

But that made her think. What if this wasn't someone from some gang? What if it was someone she had met before. Some freak, who was going to stalk her, find her alone, rape her then kill her? Was that it? Some sicko who only wanted her body? If it would get him away from her she'd just have to find some way to trap him and find his name. Then write it in the Death Note. There problem solved, right?

Wrong. How would she trap him? She didn't know if this guy was capable of being traped. Hell, she had no idea of what he was capable of, period! She knew nothing about him. Except that he obviously had no life because he was out there litterally twenty four/seven.

She had refused to tell Taku that she was still being stalked. If he had found out, he would surely take it into his own hands. For some reason unknown to her brain, she almost felt that killing this man was wrong. There was something unseen about her pursuer that made her feel like her thoughts about him and his intentions could be completley wrong.

All she knew, was that she wished Matt Would come to her rescue once again.

--

Matt sighed. This honestly felt completly weird to him. She knew he was there. To put it bluntly. He called Mello every few hours to tell him what she had been doing. Mello had been particualy interested in Ryuk. The one sided conversations Matt was able to give to Mello greatly intriged him. It was quite obvious that Ehkei had the Death Note, so he didn't know why Mello still had him trailing her. He was probably laughing his ass off back at the HQ, because he was seriously messing with Matt's feelings here.

Matt could only guess that it was all for the good of the buisness, but he didn't know why Mello agreed to give the note book to Light in the first place. Light was such a deceiving bastard! Everyone with a fucking brain knew that! And Mello had brains. Matt had seen them at work. The guy was a genious. Matt couldn't get his head around it.

On the other hand, Matt felt like he was intruding on her personal life. He wasn't supossed to be there, yet he heard and saw through a curtain the way her and her brother acted together. It was apparent they cared, and it was quite heart mushing when you could whitness Ehkei's ability to bring a grown man down to his knees. Though she never yelled or cursed her brother, never seemed to get outwardly angry with him. Or attack him in anyway that wasn't playful for that matter. She was extremley kind to him and from the way Matt had seen her act, he concluded that she thought of him as fragile. Her owning the Death Note and knowing just how easily it was to kill a person, it wasn't hard to guess that that was _exactaly_ how she felt about it.

Taku, on the other hand, was definatly protective over her. If he ever found out it was Matt stalking her, he'd be slowly castrated for sure, and then the rest of his sexual organ would be cut up, sauteied, and served to him on a silver platter. Matt grimaced at the thought, unconciously cupping himself as he watched her shilouette behind her thin cream colored curtain.

She was wrting again and Matt quickly added that to his notes, along with what time it was. Looking back towards her window he saw her wrap it back up, place it in a box and then she was lost from view. Whenever it came to this point he was not sure where she hid the notebook. Seeing as he was positive she knew him to be out here in the dark, she could have hidden from view and crawled to anywhere in the room. Though her bedroom door, nor her closet door ever opened. So he had concluded it was put under the bed.

When she arose to his view again she was in the middle of the room she appeared to be wearing different clothes. Though he couldn't be certain from the distance. She was looking directly out the window. To be more precise, to exactaly the spot he was standing in. He unconsiously took a step back and crouched down further into the shadows. Although he was sure she couldn't see him in the first place, it unnerved him that it was still a possibility. With a swift nod towards the corner of her room she walked out and a few seconds later he heards her door slam shut.

_'Where the hell is she going at one in the fucking morning, on her day off?'_ Matt wondered idly as he followed her around the house and towards Mello's Motorbike. He had decided to stop with the red car. Too conspicuois. Even if it was quieter than the bike. Silently he let her take the lead a few meters and then slowly followed after her.

--

Ehkei smiled to herself and Ryuk when she saw the motorboke behind her. As she thought. This guy was easily taken advantage of.

After driving for about thirty minutes she turned off the paved road to drive down a dirt one. After a few twists and turns there, she came out to a beautiful lake, with the light of the full moon refecting onto it. Ehkei smiled at the sight, momentarily forgetting why she had come there.

She turned her car around and parked it a few feet from the entrance of the clearing. Getting out of her car, she walked to it's front and crossed her hands across her chest. Ryuk chuckled from beside her. His massive shoulders shakig with the sound. She was suddely thankful Ryuk was there with her. A ghost of a smile graced Ehkei's lips. At least she didn't have to do this alone.

A light came form around the bend and a motorcycle soon followed it. When the light blinded her she didn't move or blink, just kept her eyes fixed on the spot where the person whom had caused her so much stress these past few weeks was currently sitting.

As soon as the human on top of the motorcycle saw her and her car there he screeched to a skidding and stop. The bike turning to the left in an effort not to hit her.

Ehkei clutched the pen and paper in her palm tighter, making sure it was safely hidden from his view pressed to her chest. She was suddenly unsure that she could pull this off. Sure she had used the Death Note before, but this just felt weird. She still needed his name. His helmet protected him for now, but did he know to keep his face hidden? Was he educated on the Death Note? Or was he the idiot from some gang? Or was this the crazy sicko who wanted to sex her up?

Narrowing her eyes at him she watched as he turned of the bike and put down the kickstand. She noticed how he kept the helmet on and used the bike as something to put between them. So he was educated on the Death Note? Her eyes narrowed further.

"Who are you and what the fuck do you want with me?"

--

"Who are you and what the fuck do you want with me?" Her voice was cold, deadly. There was no fuckin' around with this girl.

_'Shit! What have I done this time? I knew this was weird. I knew I should have taken to the trees when she turned that last time. But I wasn't sure. Ah, fuck. Too late now. What do I say? Shit, shit, SHIT!'_ Matt's head was ponding. He had thought it might come to this. Had Mello predicted this as well? _'Oh, who the fuck cares now anyway? Pay attention Matt! Shes waiting for you to answer her!'_

"Sup beautiful? Come here often?" Was the first thing out of his mouth. Matt mentaly slapped himself. _'IDIOT!'_

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Answer my damn questions! And take off that damn helmet! I feel like I'm talking to a fucking maniquinn." She practically barked at him. Her patience wearing thin. Matt mentaly cursed himself again.

"You don't remember me? Aw that's depressing. I-"

"Remember you? Why the hell wouldn't I remember you? You've been fucking stalking me for the past few weeks! You pig!" she interuppted him angrily.

Matt flinched. "Would you let me finnish my sentences, Honey?"

"Stop calling me those ridculos pet names! I'm not your 'Honey'! Take off that damned helmet! You at least owe me a look at your face." She began to tap her foot. She cornered her eyes over to the side and glared at something behind her for a second before looking back at him. _'So, the Shinigami can't leave you huh? Or is he here just for shits and giggles?'_

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you. That was never my intention. It's completley buisness. I swear. I will not harm a hair on your pretty little body," Matt smirked through his helmet and added in his head, _'unless you want me too.'_

Disgusted, she wrinkled her nose at him. "Fuck you! If you don't take off that helmet I'll castrate you right here and now." She threatened menecingly, pointing a finger at the ground.

Again, Matt unconciously cupped himself. "I'd rather keep those if it's all the same to you." He gave a sheepish smile, though she couldn't see it. "But, I must digress. I cannot take this off for fear of my own life. That paper in your hand is rather deadly. As you well know." He smirked again when he saw her expression of complete shock. She had obviously banked on him not knowing about her precious note book.

"If you take it off, I might let you go with your life and one ball." She said finnaly composing herself.

Matt put a finger to his helmt in a thinking gesture. "Hmm, tempting, but I don't believe you." In truth, Matt wished that if she found out it was him that maybe she would let him live with both his balls, but he just couldn't be sure of her power. What she was willing to do to keep herself safe? This helmet was like his bulletproof vest. If he took it off there was no telling if she'd shoot him right in the heart or purposefuly miss by a few inches.

Growling, her eyes cornered to the side again and her expression changed drastically. At first, she had the look of pure anger, now she was calm and collected. She put her hands down by her sides and she tossed something white into the lake at her side. Looking closer, Matt noticed it was a small sheet of paper. Her pen was then tossed in the other direction.

_'What the fuck? She just threw away her only weapon! Is she stupid? What does she think shes doing? She doesn't kno_w _she can trust me. For all shes knows I'm a total psychopath!'_

--

Ehkei tossed away her only weapons an dshe suddenly felt naked. She only had the Kung Fu Taku had taught her now. What if he was stronger than her? Knew better moves? She was toast. Ryuk better be right, or his apple supply was gone in an instant!

She bowed her head so she didin't have to look at the man in front of her. She had no choice but to give him a reason to trust her. She could write his name down later. As soon as she saw his name she was going to jump back into her car and make a fun for it. If he got in her way, she'd just have to run him over.

She looked up when she heard him moving. He had changed his stance slightly. He was now facing her completley and his head was bent slightly, looking towards the middle of the space between them. His hands slowly made their way up to his only source of protection. His glove covered hands rested on the sides of it and stayed there for a long second.

Ehkei's hands trembled. This was it. Her eyes were slowly widening, bigger with eyery moment that passed between them. This was torture! Pure torture.

His shoulders moved up slightly as he sighed. Finally he began to work the helmet over his head, past his lips, his nose, the bottoms of his ears, closed eyes, red hair covering them slightly, and finaly over the top and tossed to the ground reluctantly. He held up a finger to her as soon as the tool had left his fingers. He reached under his leather motorcycle jacket and pulled out a set of oddly tinted goggles. He proceeded to place them over his eys delicatley before he looked up at her fully and opened them.

A sudden in take of breath was the only sound Ehkei was capable of making at the moment. Her knees went weak and she almost colapsed to the ground. It couldn't be?

The name floating carelessly above his head was the same one that had been stuck inside her's for over two months now. She had seen it twice before. But never outside the club.

Mail Jeevas. Matt.

When a sheepish ghost of a smile pulled at his lips she fell to the ground and put a hand to her mouth. Matt was the crazy, sicko who had been stalking her? The very guy she had a huge infatuation with. She really knew how to pick 'em didn't she? Firsft Mello, the arms dealer who needed some serious anger management, and now his friend who found attractive girls and stalked them. What did he do to them after this? Would he rape her? Oh, God.

Ehkei was shaking when Ryuk began to laugh violently. She hesitantly glanced over her shoulder to see him walking around her with his head thown back. His mouth wide open, the sound of his humor filling the space around her. It was amazing Ehkei was the only one who could hear such a noise.

_'What the hell is so funny, Ryuk? This is the most unfunny situation ever.'_ She looked back to see Matt had his eyes narrowed on her now. She gulped loudly.

Matt saw this and began to push his bike to the side slightly. Once it was out of the way he sat down in it's place, cross legged. "I told you, Ehkei. I will not harm you in any way, shape or form." His expression was sinceire, but how was she to know if that wasn't a lie?

"How can I trust you?" Her voice was shaky. She hated that, and she forced herself to calm down, to think rationaly.

"I trust you with my life. And I hope to get the same trust in return. If I didn't trust you, I would still have that on my head." He pointed to where the helmet now lay about two feet from where he was sitting. "And you trusted me first, by getting rid of your weapon."

Ehkei nodded towards him. She got where he was coming from but that didn't mean it wasn't a plot from the begining. All the way back to that Gangster whom had groped her and then Matt had saved her. For all she knew it could have all been a plot to get her to trust him for when this moment arrived. She pulled her legs closer to her. "Fine. But you stay over there! Why were you following me? You said it was buisness? What do you want?"

Right after she asked, she realized exactaly what he was after. It wasn't her specifically, but what she was in possesion of. He wanted the Death Note. He worked for Mello after all. The cold hearted weapons dealer. He could get _tons_ of money off of this. She didn't put it past Mello to pull something like this to get what he wanted.

Matt noticed the realization on her face and nodded his head solomly. "I want the Death Note from you. Yes. Mello had me follow you to make sure you definalty had it. Although, we've known you've had it for weeks now, I have no idea why he wants me to keep following you. Of course, I don't mind following a beautiful woman like yourself around all day. That's no problem for me." He gave her a sweet, sheepish smile. "Not to offend you. Like I said, No touchy. . . Unless you allow it." He added as an after thought.

She loosened her grip on her legs and sighed. There it was. She was sure it was the truth. He flat out told her everything. What reason would he have to make up a lie like that? No, if he were to be lying, he'd make up something better.

"Well, you can't have it! I refuse to give it to Mello so he ge get money off of such a thing! The bastard! I will not allow the world to come to chaos because I let Mello sell off the worlds most vaulubal weapon in history! Besides. It was my mother's before she died and I refuse to let it leave the family! If I have to I'll burn it to keep Mello's greedy hands of it, the I will damnit!." She made a face at him and crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly.

Matt chuckled at her rant. "Done yet?"

She stuck her tounge out at him and turned her nose up. "Yes."

"Good, because I don't think Mello entirely wants to sell it to the person who offered to buy it. Mello may be greedy but hes not an idiot. He knows what hes doing, beautiful." Matt gave her a reasuring smile.

Ehkei still wasn't convinced. "Well, what are you going to do now that you know I know you've been stalking me? I'm not going to let it continue. That would be stupid and pointless. Besides if I'd have known it was you, Matt I could have written your name the first day I found the Death Note. I've known your name ever since the first day we met." She didn't exactaly have an expression on her face, but Matt's was priceless. His mouth was gaping open like a fish and his eyes were huge behind his goggle's lenses.

"Bu-wha- How?" He flustered leaning forward a bit. Ehkei smiled.

"I was born with the eyes of a Shinigami, honey. But no one except my mother knew that. So don't worry, I won't hold that against you." She smirked as Ryuk chuckled from beside her.

"Are you sure you want to tell him all of this, Ehkei?" Ryuk asked her skeptically.

She turned to look at him fully. "Yes, I'm sure Ryuk. I think I can trust Matt. Even if I know I can't trust Mello." Turning back to Matt, Ehkei asked "Do you have a cell on you?"

Matt blinked at her random question and reached into his jean's pocket to retieve it. Holding it up he announced, "Yeah, why?"

"Give it to me. I don't want to be inturupted." She scooted over about two feet and Matt did the same, holding it out her her over the foot of distance Ehkei had left between them. "Thank you!" Turning it off she slipped it into her pocket and began to explain the Death Note, how she had gotten it, and her eyes. She even explained Ryuk to him, even though Matt still could not see or hear him.

By the time she had finnished, they were both lying on their backs looking up at the night sky. Ehkei was insanely glad that it had been Matt under the helmet now. If it had been anyone else, she didn't know how things would have turned out.

"So, what do you plan to do with it, now that you've got it?" Matt asked nonchalauntly from her side.

"Eh, not much, with my eyes, I'll probably just find the names off all the guys who become a problem at the club. Those girls don't deserve to be treated that way. Myself included." She felt Matt turn to his side and she risked a glance at him. He was staring at her. "Can I help you?" She asked after a moment of silence from him.

He looked absolutly dilicious right then. His hair shown bright red in the moon light and his goggles had been shoved up his face. The cigarette in his mouth was almost done with and the white on the shirt he wore under the leather jacket shown brightly in the light. His skin glowed a beautful pale color and his lips were the image of perfection. Now that she was paying close attention she noticed his face was about seven inches away from her own. She sucked on her lollipop violently, but did not taste anything but stick. Wrinkling her nose she stossed it to the side and sat up on her elbows.

"Why are you staring at me?" She blushed in the light of the moon, hopeing he wouldn't notice.

Matt smiled slighly and tossed his finnished cancer stick away from them. "You are the most exqisite thing I have ever seen in my life." He stated simply. Lightly and hesitently he placed a gloved and to the place on her neck where it met her jaw bone, just below her ear. When she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of his hands on her, even with the leather gloves, Matt's face moved a little closer to hers.

She could smell the nicotine on his breath as she inclined hr head to him ever so slightly. Opening her eyes she looked into his bright green ones. They were hesitant, asking silent permission to take her lips with his. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to have his hands all over he body. She wanted to feel his tounge on every inch of her skin. She wanted to feel the rough pale skin she knew waited for her under the shirt that was stretched taunt over his broad chest and arms. She wanted to wrap her legs around his waist and feel the power of his muscles as he held her weight. She wanted to feel him inside of her. She wanted to know the pleasures she knew he could give her. And she suddenly wanted to feel them at that very moment. She didn't want to wait.

Closing her eyes she parted her lips slightly and leaned forward. Matt's lips were on hers before she knew it. Moving in such a way that she could hardly breath. Taking one from her nose she felt his tounge trace her bottom lip, then forcefully slip between them and her teeth into the depths of her mouth. She moaned but Matt swallowed the sound effortlessly.

God, but did he had a skilled mouth! He really knew what he was doing. Even though he tasted like ciggarettes it was easy to move past that.

Ehkei's hands found their way to his shoulders and she slipped her hands under his jacket and began to push it down his arms. When it reached the ground she pulled it from his wrists and tossed it aside. Her mouth never parting from his. Their tounges stuck in an intricate battle against each other. Neither was willing to lose this fight.

Next she pulled off his gloves. She had to feel his skin on hers. She craved it. Matt swallwed another moan and he lighlty pushed against her shoulders with his uncovered palms, gently guiding her to lie back down.

Placing his hand back on her neck his lips moved away from hers and he began an intricate trail of hot kisses down her jaw bone and back. Her neck was next, using his other hand to pull her body closer to him and keep her from squirming. She moaned again when his lips reached her collar bone. Matt looked up at her through his lashes and red hair, smiling. "Are you sure? If you want, I'll stop." He asked. She realized then that it was her choice if he had sex with her. She called the shots. She wasn't sure if this would have happened in any normal situation, or if it was because if she was pissed at him for violating her body she had the ability to end his life with a flick of her wrist.

With passion glazed eyes she nodded and pulled his face back up to hers and claimed his lips with hers once more.

--

When Ehkei kissed him again Matt's heart pounded loudly in his ears. He was amazed she didn't hear it.

Her hands found their way to his waist and they slipped under his stripped shirt. Her hands were cool and soft. The friction between them and his scarred skin wasn't as bad as he expected it to be. Most wemon hated that fact that his skin was scarred and knicked from many fights and explosions. But not this one. She shivered when she felt each one, but as her hands moved further and further up his back bringing the cloth with them, her hips and thighs pressed tighter to his. Her back began to arch as he kissed her with everything he had. She moaned agian and Matt reveled in the feeling of it slipping down this throat as he swallowed that one too.

When the cloth came to his shoulderblades she pulled her lips from his to stare into his eyes as she pulled it off him. His skin glowed bright in the moon light and she stared at his chest adoringly. She ran her fingers over it and smiled with ever muscle they went over.

Matt watched her reation to his body intently. She wasn't flinching or anything. But he had to remember that Mello had had his scar whe she had been with him too. So she much be used to things like this. Burn, knife, bullet, and fist scars must not be surprising to her in the least. After all her brother was in a gang, and high ranking at that. Matt had seen her brother's scar and to be honest it wasn't pretty. It made him wince to think about what he must have had to go through to get that.

When she reached his jeans, she moved out from under him slightly, noticing his confused expression, she smiled sweetly. Flashing Matt her perfect perly whites, she gantly pushed himm back to the grass. She sat up and began to pull off his high boots. Once they were off she tugged off his socks and then did her own as quickly as she could. Pushing hair from her eyes she turned back to him with a wicked smile in place. She looked positively mischevious and Matt got a little worried as to what she was thinking about.

She surprised him when she leaned over him to claim his lips in hers. Not soon after though, she was kissing and delicatly licking every scar she could find. When she found one near his nipple she lingered there. Matt's sharp intake of breath at her actions did not go unnoticed. She smirked up at him and took his hands in her own. She studdied them for a few moments before looking backup at him. Her eyes were pleading with him.

"Touch me, Matt." She began to lift then up to her chest when he got the idea. Shaking his head, he pulled her hands to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. She looked slightly confused and he gave her a knowing smile.

"Come here, Riliyan." He used her real name for one reason. He wanted her to know that he wasn't going to do anything she didn't want. That he would please her, yes, but he would take his time. He used it because her brother used it when they were in a slightly intimate position. Though, no where near as intimate as this. He wanted to let her know he wanted her, for her.

Still looking slightly confused, she leaned down and rested her head on his chest lightly. He kissed the top of her head and traced lines on her arms with the very tips of his fingers. He slowly made his way up her arms and once he reached her shoulders he made his way down her back. Once he reached the tip of her jeans he made his way back up bringing the cotton top up with him. He kept the rythmic circle dance that his fingers were doing over her soft, goosebumped skin. When he was at her shoulderblades her breaths wer coming faster and shorter. She was almost panting. And her shirt wasn't even off yet. Matt smiled. Boy, was she going to love this!

Lifting her head from his chest and rasing her arms over her head she let him stripp her shirt from her body. Matt smiled at her pearly skin in the moonlight. She was better looking than he would have ever imagined. Her stomach was flat and her breasts were perfect, her bra offered them up to him willingly. Pushing them gently up her chest. He watched the gental rise and fall of it as her breathing accelerated.

Slowly, Matt's hands rubbed up and down her arms confortingly. His head moved towards her collar bone and he laid butterfly kisses over it as he slowly made his way down to her left breast. Kipping it playfully he felt her shudder and moaned in his ear. Her hands found their way into his hair and he smiled against her black bra. Pulling it back carefully he found her nipple. It was hard and waiting. Carefully he pulled it into his mouth with his teeth. When he began to suck on it she arched her back and pushed her supple body onto him more fully.

Matt could feel his groin ache. His bulging pants were begining to burn. He knew she felt it against her thigh, but she said nohing.

Suddenly a cell phone went off in her pocket. Matt pulled back instantly, surprised. She gasped and fumbled to pull her cell out of her pocket. She mouthed 'sorry' as she answered it. "What's up, Taku?"

Matt could hear a deep male voice on the other end but couldn't understand what was being said.

"Uh, I went for a drive. I was in a bad mood today. Long day you know? I just wanted to get away. Relax for a bit by myself . . . . . No! Why would you say that? . . . Oh, please. I'm not like those other whores at the club. You know me. . . . Whatever. I'll see you in a bit." She hung up them. she gave Matt a sheepish smile and said, "Sorry, I have to go. Taku want's me home, like now. Says hes been worried sick. Thought maybe I was out with some guy I wanted to fuck from the club." She rolled her eyes.

Matt gave a feeble nervous laugh. His boner gone. "Uh, yeah. Well that kind of is where you are. But you didn't exactaly get there intentionaly." He gave antother nervous laugh and scratched the back of his head.

Ehkei thought for a moment. "Hey your right! Sorry again. We can continue this later though?" She asked hopefully as she pulled her shirt back over her head. "Come see me some time. But don't stalk me! I'll go ninja on your ass." She warned playfully as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and ran for her car smiling and waving.

When she drove off, Matt fell to the ground again with a huge riduculous smile plastered on his face.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So yeah, I just started schol again and my english teacher is a killer. I might not be able to write much. So I wanted to say that if you review I'll reward you with another chapter! I'm in a generous mood. I like this one. Anywho, I don't get reviews you don't get chapter six for another two weeks. Got it?

Thanks for readin'. I 'preciate it!


	6. Click, Click, BOOM!

_**Diclaimer:**I Do Not Own Death Note.  
**Claimer:** I Do own Ehkei, June, and Taku._

**Author's Note: **Okay, so this one isn't as long as the other ones have been. Took me forever to do this and I'm not even sure I'm entirely happy with it. Eh, It's very weird and out of the blue, Lots of surprises and some tradegy, But It had to be written. Title is from "Click Click Boom" by Saliva.

**

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Chapter Six: Click, Click, BOOM!

Taku waited by the door when Ehkei arrived back. His arms crossed over his broad chest and his foot tapped impatiently on the wood floor. "You really expect me to believe you went for a drive to cool down?" He asked with a brow raised, as she passed him to enter the house. "Be serious here, Ehkei."

"I am serious! Since when have I run out to go fuck some guy I don't even know? I'm not a whore like the fucking girls at the strip club you sent me to work at! While I'm on this topic, I thought you said you'd have guys watching out for me there? Fucking liar! If you have guys there watching over me, why don't they interveine when I'm being groped by every drunk gangster in the damn place, huh? I can't stand it there, Taku! It's revolting and sick! How the hell do you men enjoy such a place?" She continued on her rant and Taku leaned against the now closed door frame. His expression exasperated. Ehkei was leaning towards him now, her arms throw out at her sides, palms open.

"Listen, if you didn't like it there so much why didn't you just say sometin'?" He asked raising his shoulders for a second before letting them drop again.

"I thought it was obvious!"

"Apparently not. I can't read your mind, Ehkei. You hide it well enough." Another sigh.

Ehkei growled in frustration. "I'm going to quit." She folded her hands over her chest and leaned back.

"Fine." Taku said after a moment's hesitation as he thought it over. "But you can't go anywhere without my knowing about it first. Not even to the front steps. Got it?"

"Jeez, I'm not a kid, Taku. I can take care of myself." She mumbled under her breath.

Suddenly Taku had her by the arms and he shook her. She was forced to look at his angered face as he said, "That's just it, Ehkei! You can't take care of yourself! You are just a kid! Your barely out of school! What do you expect from me? Your the most importat thing in my life."

Ehkei's eyes sofened as she gazed into his. "If I was so important to you than why did you send me to that club? I was doing fine staying here!" she insisted. Taku sighed and bowed his head to her shoulder and pulled her closer to her in a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry, okay? It was a mistake. I'll never let you leave here again." Ehkei stiffened in his grasp. This didn't go unnoticed. "What? You got someone waiting for you?" He added to her hair.

"Uh, not really. Just some friends. June from work, and her brother." Ehkei said, trying to think up something to tell him.

He pulled back to look at her then. "Who's her brother?" He looked concerned, like he was worried Matt would rape or kill her. But he also looked curious and slightly angry, like no one deserved to be near her but him. Yeah, that all made a ton of sense.

"Don't worry about him. He's not going to do anything to me. He's a good kid." She placed her hands on his and pulled them from her shoulders to place them back at his sides.

"A kid, huh? Like what, he's fourteen?" He raised his eyebrow again.

Ehkei blew her bangs from her face and sighed. "No, hes not really a kid, unless your like, seventy something, then you'd see him as a kid. He's twenty." She looked him right in the eyes to make it a point that she trusted Matt.

"Don't think your let off the hook that easily. They can come here." Taku folded his arms over his broad chest.

"Are you sure that's smart? No one's ever been to our house.What if someone finds out they were here and tries to follow them or get the infomation out of them?" Ehkei didn't want Taku to meet Matt just yet and catch her in her lie.

"If you really trust these two then it should be no problem." Ehkei scowled at him when he smirked. She hated that smug smirk. She knew she was caught, but she wasn't giving up just yet.

Ryuk laughed heartily behind her and made it a point to point out that she was caught in her own web. She scoweled behind a mask of hair.

"Fine, have it your way then." She huffed and crossed her arms under her breasts. "I'll go call them and make the change of plans. They'll be here in maybe an hour and a half." She guessed.

Taku smirked at her again and waved to her as he began to open the door. "I have a few erronds to run, alright? I should be back by the time your friends get here. And I'm going to check the miles on your car so I'll know if you try and leave." He gave her a thumbs up.

"And what if I wanted to walk?"

"Your not stupid enough to try it. Love ya, sis!" And then he was gone, the door closed swiftly behind him.

_'Shit.'_

--

Matt jumped when he felt a vibration coming from his back pocket. Calming himself he pulled out his cell phone and saw that Ehkei was calling him. He smiled to himself as he flipped it open. "Hello, beautiful."

"Hey, Matt! How are you?"

"Never better. You?"

"Uh, we have a problem." She sounded sheepish. "I'm kinda under house arrest. And I told my bro that you were one of my former co-worker's brothers. And that I had plans to hang out with the two of you today, well now he wants to met you and you have to come to my place, becuase I'm not allowed out of the house." Her words started to slur together as she spoke faster, and no doubt due in part to the candy he was sure was in her mouth.

"I see. That's no problem, georgeous! I don't mind meeting the big guy." He said in false confidence. what would Mello think of this? Awh, CRAP!

She let out the breath she was apparently holding and thanked him before telling him to be there in about an hour and sayign goodbye.

_'Mello's not gonna be happy about this. Oh, well. He'll have to live. The way I see it, the closer I can get to Ehkei the better for me, and also the better chance I'll hav_e_ of getting the notebook for Mello. I feel dirty.'_

--

June was fine with the situation and didn't mind helping Ehkei out. Ehkei was now stretched out on her bed waiting for them to arrive. June and Matt would meet before Taku got here an would do they're best to act like siblings. She hoped her plan wouldn't fall through.

Suddenly a fierce knock on her front door cracked the silence. _'What? They're so early?'_ Ehkei got up and made her way to the door.

Looking through the peep hole she saw no one there. _'Damn kids playing ding dong ditch!'_ She growled in frustration. Her erves were way too worked up for this.

She heard Ryuk make a funny noise, something in between a laugh and a scream under his breath. Ehkei turned to him and out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of fabric and felt a slight gust of wind. Her eyes widened as she took in the fully opened window in Taku's bedroom. The window had been closed and locked when Taku left.

Her heart rate sped up and she looked about franticaly. Someone was there. Who could have unlocked that window, when the lock was inside? She took a step forward and grabbed a baseball bat from the door beside her. She raised it high and cautiously made her way into the living room. Spinning quickly she took in the whole room and by Ryuk's silence she guessed her oponent was not in this room.

With deadly caution she made her way to her room, her eyes never staying in one place for more than a second. She made constant tunrs and twists to make sure she wouldn't be caught off gaurd. closing the room door behind her she locked it and leaped for the floor beneath her bed. Once she was halfway under she was startled be a slight chilly breeze that wafted up the ends of her capris. Ryuk gave a cuckle.

_'Breeze? Wheres that coming fr- Oh' SHIT!' _She realized too late that _her_ window was open also. Forgetting about the Death Note for a minuete she shoved out form under her bed and slid across the floor with style. She stopped in the middle of the room slightly raised off the ground, support in the form of her right shin and left palm. Her baseball bat raised and ready for attack.

The breeze was stronger now and her hair blew about her neck restlessly. She scanned her room and saw the slight crack between her clost door and the wall.

"Bingo! I found you!" She shouted and Ryuk burst into laughter. Ehkei jumped to her feet and shoved he closet door open and was about to swing her weapon wen she realized it was devoid of any living substance. Her heart rate sped up as it pumped theadreniline through her system. Her heart was practicaly jumping out of her chest. She could litterally see her chest moving from it's exertion.

Just as she was about to spin around again she felt a hand grab her wrist, twisting it forcefuly and breath on her neck. " Not quite, Princess."

Ehkei let out a shriek as the pressure on her wrist increased and pain shot up her arm. She wa sure he had sprained her wrist, any longer with this and her wrist would break. She let out another shreik and soon found a hand covering her mouth to silence her.

"Quiet now, we don't want everyone to know I'm here, now do we?" As an answer Ehkei bit into his hand as hard as she could, she tasted his thick blood and heard him curse. "None of that." More pain shot up her arm and she dropped the baseball bat. The hand she had bit grabbed her now empty one and shoved it behind her back.

GRitting her teeth she refrained from yelling out again, instead she asked a question. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Don't worry about that now. You'll find out soon enough."

"I'll show you soon enough!" Ehkei muttered under her breath, just loud enough for him to bearly hear her words. Once they'd regestered in his head she jumped off the ground and kicked her legs backwards into the mans stomach and groin area. Her hands were relased as the man stumbled backwards gripping his stomach and groin. "Ha!" Ehkei yelled at him as she ran passed.

He had worn a mask over his face, so it suggested he knew about her eyes somehow. Just great. She sprinted into Taku's room and grabbed the gun from the top drawer of his nightstand. Without hesitation she checked the round inside it.

Good, a full round. she just needed to make them count.

_'Who the hell is this guy? What does he want from me? Oh that's easy! How about that fucking book you've got hiding under your bed? Oh fuck! If hes after it then he must have seen me dive under the bed to retrieve it! And he's in my room! Shitfuckdamnit!'_ Ehkei made her way as quickly as she could back into her room to find the man already had the notebook out and resting in his lap. It was still wrapped in her cloth. He paused in unwrapping the little black book when she cocked the gun and pointed it at his forehead."Drop it!"

"You won't shoot." His deep voice was confident and Ehkei didn't like that. Why wouldn't she? She had shot before. This man was no different. she knew not whom he was be that didn't matter, she could tell by his voice that he wasn't someone she knew and cared for.

"And why not?" She asked cocking her head to the side with a look of pure hatered. "You think that just because I'm a woman I don't have the guts to shoot you? Well I have news for you, buddy. I was raised by a King and a Joker. There is no way I won't let you take all six of these lovely bullets in the groin within six minetes. I'm no weakling and that's where you fucked up in messing with me!" Ehkei screamed at him.

Ryuk began to laugh hystericaly from behind Ehkei. "You sure you want a murder on your consience, Ehkei?"

"I've killed before, and this is no different!" She answered Ryuk, but made it sound like she was speaking to mister ninja on the floor.

She stared into his eyes and saw the laothing and the pure fear in his eyes. For a second she wasn't entirely sure she could acctually go through with it. Could she really kill in cold hard blood? she had only ever shot one man before, and that wa simply to wound, not to kill. She had needed to get away and she shot him inthe thigh to slow him down. Taku had gotten there just in time to finnish him off for her as she escaped. That was how he had received the horrid scar on his neck. Because he was rescuing her and he was weaponless. His oponent had brandished a sturdy knife that to this day Taku carries with him everywhere he goes.

Her breath was hitched when he spoke. "No, It's not that. It's because if you kill me, you will never know my true reason for being here. And you'll wonder for the rest of your life if my death was really necissery."

Ehkei could hear the smirk on his lips, and she smiled back evily. "What a stupid reason for me to spare you! No matter anyway, my brother would kill you anyway. There is no way you'd live to see another day either way. So what does it matter who the person to carry out the penalty is?" Ehkei was thankful she was an amazing liar to everyone except her brother. On the inside, she was begining to shake and sweat, though her outside appearence didn't show any signs of weakness. She wasn't sure if she could really shoot to kill. Her wrist was still sending waves of pain up her arm and then she realized that this man would kill her if se didn't kill him. Self defence was her reason to kill this man. From the looks of him, he was probably someone whose name she would have written in her notebook anyway. They cause of death wasn't much of a big matter.

Still, could she kill him?

He chuckled. "I quess you hav a point here. But I still do not think you have the power to pull that triger and end my life." There was that damn smirk again.

"We'll you know what? Click, click, pull and here comes the-" She aimed for his stomach and pulled her finger tight on the trigger._**"-BOOM!" **_The gun spit out it's bullet in a flash of fire and the loudest bang she'd ever heard. The gun kicked back and her hand was pulled up with it, she was thrown slightly off balence.

Reaiming she shot him agian and again. After the third shot she was sure he wrist wouldn't take anymore and she lowerd her weapon. Catching herself she looked back at the man on her floor. His eyes had widened in disbelief, his mouth agap. He now sported a gaping red hole in the left side of his stomach region. A bloodied hole in his right collar bone and yet another his thigh. Blood poured from his wounds, it soaked over the white cloth that covered the world's most dangerous weapon.

"You- You acctually shot me." His voice showed his shock, and it cracked. He grabbed at his wound and gasped. Small sounds came up from his throat, little monas of pain that made Ehkei's stomache churn.The smell of his blood made her neausious.

"Yes, It's your own fault. For underestimating me and my willpower. I'm sorry for this. Really I am." She ducked her head to hide her shame in herself. Taking a few steps foreward she kneeled down and took the Death Note out of his loose grasp and sighed. She had to know who she just sent to death. Hesitantly, she reached up and pulled the mask from his face.

She fell back when she saw the red letters floating above his head."No! NO! I thought you were dead!?" Tears formed in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. Ehkei sat in complete shock and confusion. _'How can this be? This isn't real!'_ She shook her head fiercly, closing her eyes. As if to dispell the scene before her.

"I'm sorry . . . Riliyan." He began to pant harder. Blood spurted from between his teeth and he spat more onto the hard floor beside him. Ehkei clung tohis everyword. Still in shock over the situation, she couldn't move a muscle.

"No, your name is in the Death Note! How are you still alive?" She shrieked at him.

"Hn. . "He spat out a mouthful of blood before he continued. "My name was written in two Death Notes at roughly the same time. . . " He coughed again. "Canceling each other out. . . Once I realized I was supposed to die, I faked my death. . . I guess now it's the real thing. . huh?" His poor attempt at humor was painful for Ehkei.

"What the hell were you doing breaking into my house and trying to kill me? Why do you want the Death Note?" She was hysterical. This was too much for her brain to process to me.

"It's all part of the . . Guh!" He doubled over in pain as his wounds became too much for him. "J..ob." He sighed out and with a last gasp of pure agony Ryan Leeryck fell to the floor dead.

Ehkei's breathing kicked up a notch as the hysteria took itself to another level. Soon she was sobbing huge tears and hugging herself on her floor in a puddle of her father's blood.

"Aww isn't that just so cute." A snide female voice called through the room.

Ehkei looked up at her. She had blonde hair and pretty blue eyes. She wore a black leather mini skirt and a tube top that showed off a lot of her goodys. She wore thigh high black leather hooker boots. Her fingerless gloves ran up about three inches above her elbows. She was definatly prostitute material. The name above her head read Misa Amane.

"Eh- Wha?" Ehkei couldn't even get a full word out before Misa was in front of her. Ehkei looked up just in time to see Misa's foot connect with her chest as she kicked her to the ground, her high heels digging into her rib cage mercelessly. "Ehck! Get off me! You fucking BITCH!" Ehkei's voice rose an octave as she clutched the gun in her hand tightly and raised it to point it at Misa.

Misa smirked. "Your just loving that gun aren't you? What would you do if I was the one with the gun and not you?"

"Wel that's not the case now is it?" Her voice broke and she gripped her weapon tighter. The action shooting pain up her arm from her sprained wrist.

Ryuk was oddly silent and Ehkei wasn't even sure he was still in the room.It had her slightly worried.

Misa smiled down at Ehkei unpleasantly. "Not for long it isn't." in a move Ehkei couldn't see through her depressed and dazed stupor Misa kicked the gun from her hands and did some kind of a gymastic move backwards to catch it before it hit the ground, sliding in Ryan's blood like it was nothing but water.

_'Shit, what a heartless bitch.'_ Ehkei carefully and slowly raised herslf into a sitting position. "So what now? You going to kill me?" Her voice was calm now, empty. She wasn't sure how to feel. She wanted to continue living, her life wasn't bad enough for ehr to be suicidal, but she had just ruthlessly killed her father after all. What was she suposed to feel like?

"Not just yet. Your going to beg for death when it comes." Her smile was malevolent and it scared the daylights out of Ehkei. She was t this woman's mercy now, and there was nothing she could do to protect herself.

Misa's smile widened from ear to ear as she pulled the trigger.

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**Author's Note:** Sorry for the long wait and the cliffy. That wasn't intended. .; Anyhow, like last time I need reviews if your going to find out what happens to Ehkei and if Matt, June, and Taku can get there in time to save her from a fate worse than her father's. And where did Ryuk go? Hmm. Lots to ponder. Review to get Chapter Seven! I need more than one review or I won't update. And I mean that.

Sugar Reaper Lawliet : Thanks for the review, I hope you like this chapter. I agree with you there, Matt _is_ sexy! lol


	7. Can't Hear Me Scream From The Abyss

**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Death Note.  
Claimer: I Do Own Ehkei, June and Taku. Plus other minor characters.**

**A/N: **Thanks for the review! I hate to say it but you people sure don't want to read more of this story do you? You can't just wait for someone to put the comment in for you! Do it yourself! Anyway this title is from one of my favorite song, "Falling inside the dark" by Skillet. Anyway, heres part Seven, lots of blood here. As the title emplies.  
Enjoy!!

Miko-Valkov:No problem! As soon as I have a free minute to read I'll gladly take a look at you writing. I love helping whenever I can. Okay, about the Light thing. In my story it's kind of weird. Hes the same guy as in the anime, but a bit more sinister and creepy. The person who used the Death note last was not this Light, I don't go into detail in my story on what happened in the past, but maybe I should? However; L was not the detective on that case either, as mentioned earlier, he trained Matt how to fight, so obviously he didn't die twenty years ago. Those were pretty much all different people in the past. Nonetheless; the events would have still unfolded the same way then as it did in the anime. Just imagine different people in their places. Does that make sense? Iunno, but I hope that helps. xD And Taku is around twenty-three, twenty-four-ish. Haven't decided the precise age, but all that really matters is that people respect him as a fighter and just a person in general, and hes old enough to drink legally. XP Thanks for the comment!

Hell Tao:Thanks for the comment! I have to agree with you that more people should be reading this, but my summaries aren't that grat, nad it's not a long story as of yet. I apologize for my slacking, but school has put me over the top. That's not much of an excuse, but still. As for the MellOc, I'm not sure yet. At first there was going to be, but now, I'm not so sure, it all depends on how things turn out. After all you should let your characters talk to you, not the other way around.

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Chapter Seven: Can't Hear Me Scream From The Abyss

Fire burst form the end of the weapon, with it a small metal object flew from it's depths. Ehkei let out a shrill shriek of horror and threw her hands up to cover her head. Her legs doing the same over her torso. The Death Note was flung from her grasp and slid through the blood on the floor, resting somewhere in the unknown.

No pain came. Ehkei peeked through her barrier of limbs to see a small smoking hole in the ground where her leg had previously been. She then looked back up at the blonde before her.

Misa wore an expression of pure loathing and shock. Ehkei stared at her, her expression unreadable. Misa's eyes suddenly hardened and her nose scrunched up as she aimed the gun again.

_'Two more shots,'_Ehkei concluded thinking back to how many she had used plus the one that had just missed her. Ehkei scrambled to her feet watching as Misa's finger pulled against the trigger mercilessly. Before the shot rang out Ehkei attempted to take a step backward and just as the bullet was fired she slipped on her discarded bat and fell into a small stream of her father's blood. An irregular crack resounded though the room and pain shot up Ehkei's arm again. She had landed on her arm and broken her wrist.

Misa ground her teeth together loudly. "Bitch! I will kill you!"

"Go ahead and try it!" Ehkei was passed the numbness of her shock. She jumped to her knees, grabbing her wrist to stop it from flinging about wildly and causing her more pain. Making sure not to look in the direction of her father's lifeless body she started to shift back and forth. Making sure that no part of her body stayed stationary for more than a second. She began to inch toward Misa, still moving from one side to the other, to make it hard for her to aim. To change up her movements every now and then she'd take an unanticipated step back. She shifted her feet like a ballerina. You never knew which way she'd go next.

Misa's eyes narrowed coldly. She studied Ehkei's feet movements. This girl wasn't one to mess with. After all she had just killed her father in the cold blood that now streaked the floor. How was she supposed to hit a moving object that sometimes decided to go backwards? _'That's it! I know how to hit her!"_

When Ehkei took another step backwards Misa aimed the gun at her, and shot the last bullet with an ear splitting blast, just as Ehkei's foot made contact with a slippery object and went down.

--

Matt drove back to headquarters to speak with Mello personally. He really didn't want to tell Mello this over the phone. It wasn't really that bad, however, Mello still didn't know that his cover had been blown the previous night. Matt wasn't looking forward to telling the details or how things had gotten out of hand and could have led to a very fun night.

Walking up to the side window he shoved it open and climbed into the old run down warehouse and made his way over boxes and various weapons. He skirted past a machine gun on 'auto' very carefully and made his way out of the storage room. Down a series of hallways and up a flight of stairs Matt finally made his way to the place he would encounter Mello. Taking a deep breath he knocked on the door to announce his entry and opened the door.

Mello sat at a cherry wood desk writting something. He wore leather pants, no shoes, and his leather vest. Matt hadn't seen Mello this laid back in years. _'What could be the reason for this? Does he know something I don't?'_Matt waited for Mello to turn or acknowledge his presence.

A few minutes after Matt had walked in Mello turned his head a fraction to the right and shook his hair from his face. "What do you need Matt? I thought you were supposed to be watching Ehkei."

"Well I was, but she figured out someone was following her and she cornered me. I had no choice but to reveal my identity to her, before she wrote my name down in the Death Note. And...well..when she saw it was me...uh..things happened."

Mello raised a brow as Matt began to blush. "Things? Matt, are you trying to tell me you had sex with Rilyan Leeryck?"

"What?! No!" Matt put his hands up in surrender, or to ward off evil. _'It's hard to tell,' _Mello mused.

"Then what happened? And why did you not just call?" Mello's voice gave evidence to annoyance.

"Chill man," Matt said as he lowered his hands and leveled his eyes with Mello's. "She wants to see me again, but her bro put her on house arrest after her disappearing act last night. So I'm suposed to be placating as one of her ex-co workers from the bar's little brother. I just wanted you to know and I needed to change clothes. So here I am." Matt gave a little white lie. He honestly couldn't care less what he wore. But he needed an excuse not to look like a pansy. He was surprised Mello hadn't bitten his head off for interrupting him while he was working. Weird. What was the world coming to?

Actually, while he was here, he might as well get cleaned up. Shower, change, ect.

"Fine. Be back by nine. We have another meeting with Yagami."

--

June grabbed her purse and jumped easily onto the counter. Spinning around she let her legs fall over the opposite end and jumped off. Ehkei wasn't going to be happy with her for being late. Albeit she would forgive her about ten minutes after she arrived at her house. Ehkei wasn't the type of person to stay mad for very long. Of course, that didn't pertain to men in anyway, shape or form. She could hold a grudge against everyman in the world and never falter. And she'd seen her do it in this very bar. Several times.

The funny thing was though, that she would come to work perfectly normal after a long night of groping men. June would later find out that the men whom had been harassing Ehkei and the rest of the staff had died. Suspicious, but she didn't put much thought into it. She figured it was all around easier not to get too involved in people's personal affairs.

Shoving open the club's door she walked out into the bright sunlight and rummaged into her bag for a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Once retrieved she lit the cig and inhaled deeply. "Ahh" she sighed as she leaned up against her car. That felt good. She'd needed the escape of her cancer stick since she'd walked through the doors of the club.

Climbing into the front seat June made her way to Ehkei's house based on the directions she had written down earlier.

--

Her eyes opened slowly. The roof above her was a blurry mess of white, red and black dots. The confusion of passing out gripped her tightly as she tried to regain feeling of her body.

Ehkei lay on the bloodied floor of her bedroom as pain began to tear through her arm. It had begun to throb with the pressure of it. Her head throbbed also, from the blow of hitting it hard on the wood floors, adding to the disgruntling pulsations throughout her body.

She could smell the blood all around her, could feel it on her skin, like a thick layer of warm, sticky, syrup. It ran down her head from the fresh wound there, and ran down her arm to the crease in her elbow - as she lifted it up to examine it - from her broken wrist - that now twisted in a disgusting angle the allowed the bone to break mercilessly through her delicate skin there. Her father's blood mixed with her own on the floor and over her clothes. Drenching them in their crimson shade, reminding her of what she had done and why exactly she lying on the floor now.

Had she been hit with that final bullet from Taku's gun? Ehkei did a quick limb count and realized that she could more everything and nothing except her head and arm hurt to move. Shifting her weight she leaned on her left arm for support as she moved through her initial shock and the blurriness left from when she had lost consciousness. Hauling herself up into a sitting position she looked about for Misa Amane but could not find her anywhere. Swallowing the bile rising in her throat she tried to calm herself. The house was oddly silent - but carried on the breeze through the open window - the low ring of police sirens rang out.

As if something had just clicked in her brain Ehkei began to search the room frantically looking for the reason this entire thing had happened. The Death Note. Crawling with one hand she went over every inch of the room, ever puddle of blood, but came up short. _'Shit! Where's the Death Note? Could Misa have taken it? where the hell is she anyway?'_

Jumping to her feet she attempted to head out of the room at a fast pace but almost lost her balance, still slightly dizzy. She grabbed her head to steady herself and then made her way out to the living room. On her way out her door she caught sight of something following behind her and she turned her head to the side slowly, her eyes wide. When they fell on Ryuk she calmed and took in his amused and undisgruntled expression. He was enjoying what was going on and it made her sicker than she already felt. It didn't matter to her anymore that Ryuk had been missing for a good portion of what she remembered happening. She could care less what happened to the Shinigami now.

The edges of her vision blurred as she continued on her way through the house, and soon darkness was all she could see from her perifs. The black closed in on her vision but she pressed on towards the door, her feet unsteady. When her hand touched the knob it turned by itself and - as horror and fear filled her - the door opened.

Just as she caught a glimpse of the male brunette before her the darkness took over and she fell forward.

--

"Whoa there!" Matsuda said as he caught the young girl in his arms. Shifting her weight in his arms he looked her over. _'How much damage did Misa do to her?'_he thought as he took in the excessive amount of blood covering her entire body.

Matsuda felt pity for the poor child, but business was business and he had a job to do. Light was waiting and Matsuda hated to make him wait. Light seemed like a very calm and somewhat majestic person on the outside, but Matsuda knew better. As his right hand man Matsuda knew better than anyone how Light truly felt.

Yes, Light wanted to use the Death Note for the same purposes Ehkei did. However, he wanted to use it to it's extreme power. He wanted to eliminate _every _criminal in the world. He didn't wants it's immense powers to go to waste in such a small run down town.

Sighing, Matusda walked her over to the couch and sat her down before beginning to tie her up. He tied her upper arms behind her back so as not to hurt her wrist and then tied her forearms together. Using the same rope without cutting it he brought the line down to her legs and tied her thighs together, then her shins and finally followed by her ankles.To Finnish it off he tied the knot tight around her abdomen so she wouldn't be able to bite it off. She would have to be very skilled to get out of this one. No one had ever been able to get out of it before.

Hefting her into his arms he took her out to his car and set her in the back seat. He sighed when he realized that he seats would officially be ruined now. As he drove away from Ehkei's house with her front door ajar, a light blue hoopdy drove up and parked. June stepped from the car and sprinted for the front door in fear. June was soon followed by a motorcycle - whose rider also ran striaght inside, and two poliece cars skidded to a stop just after Matsuda's car slipped from sight around the corner.

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**A/N:** Okay! Sorry this is so damn short, but i have litterally no time to write. School is loading on the work, and I'm getting more involved in my church so that cuts back on writing time also. And I have to admit, I had a minor case of writter's block here. ' I know, I know. How the hell do you get writter's block when it's in a really climatic part?! Iunno, it just happens to the best of us I guess.

You know what to do! Motivate me to write a long chapter sooner by giving mt comments! I want at least two to three before I'm giving the next one away!

I hope you enjoyed this one. XD


	8. I'm Not Always Strong

**Disclaimer: **_I Do Not Own Death Note.  
_**Claimer:**_ I Do Own My original characters and basically the setting, in a way. =]_

**Author's Note:**Sorry this took ages to get out. I know you guys are probably on the edge of dropping the story because of having to wait so long for new installments. But I've been soooo busy lately, and frankly I've had like no motivation to write this story. I'm getting kind of tired of it. So, just a hint, I might speed up the next couple of chapters just to get this story done and over with. . Sorry. I apologize for that. Uhm, anyways the title of this chapter comes from Kelly Clarkston's song "Hear Me" Personally this song fits perfectly with the way Ehkei feels now and how she will continue to fell until she is rescued. So...yeah. Enjoy! And thanks for the awesome reviews, you guys are what keeps the story going.

_Miko-Valkov_: Basically yeah. I'm debating on putting L in here or not. More than likely he won't appear because I would have problems writing him in character. Near will be in here eventually because of the whole Mello Vs. Near thing in the show. But other than that and a few of the other members of the Japanese Task Force I doubt I'll be introducing anymore characters.

_Sugar Reaper Lawliet_: Thanks for the support! I'm kind of excited to see whats in store too. I haven't thought the whole thing out in good detail yet. I'm just kind of letting the story write itself based on the characters personalities. I hope you like this chapter!

_gothic-chao_: lol. Yeah he is, but hes not freaking out in the punch walls and do incredibly irrational things freak out. It's more on the emotional side. Read to see what I mean.

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Chapter Eight: I'm Not Always Strong

Matt ran into Ehkei's open front door. Fear tore through him as if it were the oxygen in his blood. Bloody footprints lead the way to the bedroom, a slight breeze blew his auburn hair around his face and neck. His heart attempted to jump out of his chest - as if it wanted to be anywhere but inside such a horrible place - when his gaze laid upon the gory scene that was Ehkei's bedroom. His breath caught in his throat, his tongue suddenly felt thick and dry in his mouth. His knees began to shake and quiver, his hands shook as he leaned against the door frame. Sweat, cold and slimy ran down the back of his neck.

A small woman was at his feet crying, her face in her hands. She was huddled into herself rocking back and forth. She smelled of cigarette smoke and men. Her black. choppy, hair curtained her face. Her sobs echoed in Matt's ears and his own eyes began to water.

Holding back the menacing tears that were threatening to spill over the brims of his eyes, Matt took a baby step inside the room. Nausea assaulted him as the metallic smell of blood met his nostrils. Swallowing the lump forming in his throat he took a bigger step into the room, towards the body lying there. It was obviously not a female and therefore not Ehkei but whose to say who it honestly could have been. This was obviously an attacker, whom had had the shit kicked out of him, but because he was here and Ehkei wasn't must mean that there was more than one of them. Had the second one taken Ehkei with them?

Matt walked back towards the woman, his eys and throat burning. Kneeling in front if her he put his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him her tears falling freely onto Matt's lap. "Are you June?" She nodded weakly. "How long have you been here?"

She opened her mouth to speak but only sobs and gasps escaped her lips. She grimaced and attempted again. Her words were broken and hard to understand. "uh-I-h j-j-uhst g-g-g-ot-" she sniffled rather loudly, "-H-h-h-E-ear. B-be-ore - Yo-uh-u did."

Matt nodded and pulled her into his arms. She didn't struggle but he felt her body tense for a moment before she relaxed and sobbed into his shoulder. "Do you have any idea where Taku is?" She shook her head into his shoulder. Matt nodded back and began to stand pulling June up with him. Letting her lean on him he walked back out to the front door as a few police men just walked in. Matt held up his hands and told them why he was there and that he knew as much as they did. The cops hesitantly let him and June pass, but only to be intercepted by a few more officers who wanted more information than that.

--

Taku shivered as a foreboding chill ran down his spine. _'What the hell?'_He asked himself as he walked back to his car, a bag of lollipops in his hand for his little sister. He honestly hadn't had any errands to run, he had just wanted to give her a little time to get her act together. She needed more time to come up with a believable plan. He knew June didn't have any siblings, the goons who worked under him had done a background check on everyone who worked at the club.

He was surprised that Ehkei had honestly thought that he believed her. She was so wired lately that a lot of the things she was doing astounded him. She stayed locked in her room for hours at a time talking to herself quietly. She had gone threw eight jumbo bags of lollipops in four days, and seemed to coil into herself a little. He wondered if she noticed the last one.

Sighing he drove back towards the house. Another chill ran down the length of his body, causing him to shake his head violently to get rid of it. Instantly he had a bad feeling. Something had to be going on at the house. There wasn't anything else he honestly cared about that would cause him to be worried. The Untouchable Royals weren't of much importance to him, although he knew he couldn't just get up and leave.

Taku sped up as he raced down the streets and back alleys of Atlanta, Georgia. Horns honked and pedestrians gave him the finger but he kept going, this feeling. . . was one he couldn't explain. He ground his teeth together as he wove in and out of random traffic, barely missing a prostitute jay walking. He ran red lights and stop signs without second glances.

When he was about three minutes from the apartment he could hear police sirens and see the red and blue colors of their lights reflecting of the buildings he drove past. Soon he hit a wave of people and automobiles that he couldn't possibly drive though and he turned off the car, grabbed the lollipops then shut and locked the doors. Without breaking stride he sprinted through the throng of people and elbowed his way up to the police lines barring off entrance to the apartment in front of it.

"What the hell happened here?" Taku screamed as he ducked under the yellow tape and approached an officer.

Stunned the young man blinked before trying to force Taku back. "Sir, you can't be in here! Didn't you see the tape?"

"Yes, I damn well saw the fucking tape! This is my house! What happened? Oh fuck it!" He ran past the officer and up the steps into the apartment. He didn't take a second glance at the two people speaking to other officers outside the door. The first thing he noticed was the rotten metallic smell of blood. Then he saw the bloody foot prints around the room leading to the door from Ehkei's room. Panic spread though him like a burning fire and he ran to the room.

The smell assaulted him, he had to cover his nose to shield himself from the smell of blood. As Taku took in the rest of the room he had to use the door frame for support. He heard a voice from behind him yelling at him, but he couldn't hear the words. He felt a hand on his shoulder and someone yanked him away from the room, but he hardly felt it. His eyes were glued to the blood and the body lying on the floor. The bullet holes and the spent round the covered the room. The blood though, took most of his attention. It was all he could see. Red. Thick, metallic, crimson.

The hand that had grasped him tightened it hold, but by now Taku was hyperventilating. Without realizing what he was doing, he threw the person holding him back, trying to get him out of the house, off of him and into the wall next to him and walked slowly and unsteadily into the room.

The blood on the floor smeared as he walked to the large body on the floor. Much too large to be Ehkei but Taku didn't notice it was a man's body until he was kneeling in the blood on the floor.

Taku took a quick breath of relief as he realized there was a chance of Ehkei still being alive somewhere. But the question was...where? or was she lying on the floor of some other room of the house?

Before he raced through the house, Taku surveyed the man in front of him. He felt as if he knew him. But couldn't place a finger on where he could have met him. It bothered him immensely that he couldn't place this man's face.

Scrunching up his nose he stood and jogged through the rest of the apartment. Nothing. The blood was only in Ehkei's room and the living room. But Ehkei's body was still what worried him. No matter how hard he thought about the situation, he couldn't figure out what could have happened while he was away. From the two open windows he figured that had to have been how the man had gotten in, one as a decoy and the other as his actual entrance. He guessed the man had waited for Ehkei to leave her room and then entered through hers while she was worrying over the open one in Taku's own room. After a search Taku figured out the the gun and spent round on the ground had been from his gun. But what confused him was the patterns the blood made. Splattered everywhere in abnormal designs, the smudged foot prints that led from the bedroom through the living room to the front door. It showed that the door had been opened but that was where the prints ended, and there was a giant spot of blood on the couch that showed a body had lain on it. Taku wrinkled his brow, how could that bee there without prints leading to it? It made no sense.

Coming out of his shocked faze he turnd to see three people watching him intently. "Have you IDed the body yet?"

The man in a uniform shook his head to the side, "Afraid not. Is it safe to assume you are Jackson Leeryck?"

Taku's head shot up to the man and his eyes widened. "How do you know my name?"

"I am a police officer, its fairly easy to look up the files. Now, Mr. Leeryck, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises while we Finnish this investigation."

"Tsk! I don't think so, buddy. Don't you dare take me lightly, I'm not going anywhere. Not until I figure out some answers and get my sister back." Taku scowled at him. "Who are you two?" He inclined his head to the female and the young man next to her. When suddenly the girls face looked familiar. "Wait - June?"

She nodded her head and put a hand on the man's shoulder. "This is Matt. I'm so sorry Taku! We got here too late. She was already gone." She put her facein her hands and began to sob. Matt put his arms around her and allowed her to sob into his chest.

"I'm sorry, I don't yet know you, but I will do everything in my power to bring Ehkei back to us!" Matt vowed as he looked at Taku over June's head and gave him a narrowed look. Taku's instinct told him to believe the young man but there was something suspicious about him. It was obvious that Matt had met Ehkei before and cared for her in a way that might even rival his own feelings for her.

Narrowing his own eyes Taku nodded to him and then looked at the officer. "What the hell are you still doing here? Get your ass to work and do your damn job!" He pointed an accusing finger his way and the officer hesitantly nodded and headed for the door.

--

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A few hours later, Matt found himself outside of headquarters, yet again, in a foul mood. He'd already called Mello to tell him what had happened but Mello had refused to come out to the apartment due to the police swarming around it. He'd said it was bad enough that Matt was there drawing attention to himself. He had insisted - rather ordered - that Matt return for the meeting they had. Mello had had a weird feeling about what Yagami had to say.

Matt was just about to pull his phone out to call Mello and tell him to hurry his ass up, when the blonde walked out from behind the old warehouse. He didn't say a word to Matt as he swung his leg around his motorcycle. Matt obeyed the silent command and hoped on the back, wrapping his arms around Mello's waist.

The ride to the club was longer than it should have been for Matt. All he wanted was for this to be over and done with. By the time they reached th e club Matt was really jittery and anxious. For all he knew Ehkei could be lying in a ditch somewhere dead, or almost dead. Matt shook the thought out of his head and put on a brave face as they entered the club.

The scent of women and sweat made Matt stomach clench and his mouth to dry out. He fought back nausea as he watched a couple violently dance together. It was like a play, the woman was fighting back with all her might but the male seemed to stay dominant. The two moved with each other back and forth in a rhythmic motion, throwing fists at each other and blocking blows that wouldn't have hurt them even if they'd landed. Finally she gave into him and let her body fall limp against his and he rocked his hips against hers. Matt turned away, sure his face was now flushed, with a tint of green to it.

He followed behind Mello cautiously, only watching the floor where Mello's feet moved surely forward. He seemed so calm and composed with an aura of power. Men turned from him as he walked by and women cat called. Matt fault even sicker when a big chested woman grabbed his ass and purred in his ear. Mello turned to her and smirked, then walked on. Matt looked away from her as he walked by, she was licking her lips. Matt's stomach churned again.

Once they made it to the VIP section Matt felt slightly better, here he didn't have to watch people practically having sex on the tables, they had curtains to protect him from that horrid sight. Matt noticed instantly that Yagami was in the exact same booth as he had been the last time they'd come to met him. Which meant it was here that he had first met Ehkei. His stomach rose to settle in his throat.

"Evening, Yagami." Mello says as he took the seat across from him. Matt didn't say anything but took the seat next to Mello. "What's the reason for this surprise appointment?"

Yagami smiled at him. "Evening to you too, Mello. Matt." He nodded his head in Matt's general direction. "I just wanted to let you know that I've found the Death Note without your help and have it in my possession. I am withdrawing from your services."

Matt's jaw dropped and he jumped to his feet, knocking his chair to the floor. "What? Are you the one who took Ehkei?!" He screamed pointing a finger in his direction. Mello put a hand on Matt's outstretched arm gently pulling it down by the elbow.

"Of course that's what hes saying Matthew. Sit." Mello said coolly. Not taking his eyes off Yagami. Matt obeyed with stiff limbs. "Is there a reason for taking the girl? You got the book. She is of no help to you."

Yagami chuckled slightly. "Oh, but she is. Riliyan has the Shinigami eyes by birth. Even if she gives up ownership of the book, we can still use her eyes to our advantage and she'll have no idea what we're using them for. This way, we can use the Death Note with ease, and without giving up half of my life for it."

Mello's eyes narrowed. Next to him Matt was fuming. He couldn't believe his ears. They would take her for _that_? What an asshole.

"You bastard! Give her back!" Matt half raised himself out of his seat again but Mello put a hand on his arm again.

"Control yourself, Matt! Yagami, what do we have to do to get her back from you?"

Yagami acted as if he were in deep thought. "Hmm. Nothing. I will not give her back so long as she has the eyes. Even if she doesn't want to help in the beginning. There are always ways to get people to talk." He smirked at Matt again. Matt growled low in his throat in response. Yagami snickered.

"Why have you out right told us this information, Yagami?" Mello's voice was as cold as an iceberg. His eyes lethal.

"Well, I wasn't going to pay you for nothing. I wanted to let you know that much at least. The rest, well, I'm not sure. It was kind of spontaneous." Yagami acted as if he were suddenly very interested in his fingernails. "So, I guess were done here, correct?"

Matt opened his mouth to say something but Mello silenced him with a cold look. As Yagami got up to leave two rather bulky men came out from the shadows pointing guns at Matt and Mello. "Sorry, but I can't have you following me home, now can I? Mogi, even a twitch of a muscle and blow their heads off." The nicer looking man nodded his head and turn back to them with a hard expression.

Matt mentally cursed himself for not noticing the obvious earlier.

----

Taku nodded at the men before him. When he had heard that Matt had to leave for a little while for business that could potentially help with finding his sister he decided to find some recruits to bust Ehkei out of whatever hellhole she was in now.

Being a Joker in the Untouchable Royals meant he was right underneath the Aces in power. He had succeeded his father whom had only been a Jack when he had allegedly died. Taku had only found out a few hours ago that his father was indeed the dead man lying on Ehkei's bedroom floor. And obviously, Ehkei had killed him before she knew also. The shock that was caused by this fact had almost made him break down in tears again. He had thought his father had died years ago. Obviously he'd been wrong.

A Joker was a man of high power who was basically a wild card. The two Jokers in the Untouchable Royals had completly different fighting styles than all of the other members of the gang and were potentially the two strongest people in the gang, and highly respected men. The only reason they were not Aces was because he oldest and smartest men in the gang were the Aces.

An Ace didn't do much fighting but they were generally the strongest men in the gang, and had the most experience. The only time they fought was in a full out war. Usually men in the gang went to them for advice on what to do in certain situations. They were also they ones who decided weather or not to initiate someone into the gang. The most respected men around.

A King came next under the Joker's. Next best experience and strength. Highly respected.

A Queen would be the women in the gang whom had done the most service and was willing to lay her life down on the line. These weren't any ol' woman on the street though. They were seasoned in fighting and often looked more like men. There was only one Queen who actually looked like a woman but no one messed with her. She was the most lethal of them all.

A Jack was the lowest high rank. Once you were a Jack all you could do was wait and fight until you could move up the ladder.

There were only four of each rank, except Jokers whom had two. In general there weren't very many people in the Untouchable Royals due to the fact that they went by cards and only initiated more people if a old member died. And those were special cases, when they needed new members they had to be strong and able to fend off all three deuces at once. They had to lose the battle but as long as they came out of it with a decent amount of injuries. And of course they had to survive. Just because there were only fifty-four people in the gang didn't mean they were easy prey for larger were lethal in their battles and there was more than one deck in the Untouchable Royals. There was a deck in Los Angeles, New York, Columbia, Houston, Sanfransico, Las Vegas and a few others.

Scratching his chin Taku looked around the room. Before him were the men and wemon whom had decided to help him find and retrieve Ehkei with him, Matt, June and a few of Matt's friends that he said were trustworthy.

Three of the Jacks were there: Jason, Marko, and Mason. Two of the Queens were there: Melisa and Sasha. All of the Kings had shown up: Xavier, Hugo, Dai, and Zack. The other Joker: Spencer. None of the Aces had bothered to come, but a few lower rank member came also that Taku only knew by sight: an eight, two threes, three fives, and one deuce.

Taku nodded his head at the men and women gathered. "Thanks for comin' guys. Lousy Aces didn't bother to come and save my ass so I'm very thankful to you men." He got a funny look from Sasha so he added, "And women." She smiled at him. "I'll let you know the whole story and then if any of you don't care about what happens then I'm not forcing any of you to stay and fight with me." He looked around the room and saw a few men exchange looks then shrug to each other. Taku continued on. As he told them what happened to Ehkei and his father, he saw a few men raise their eyes brows. Sasha put her hand over her mouth when he said that Ehkei must have killed Ryan. By the end of his story, there was dead silence.

Raising his shoulders and arms he made the universal "So?" sign. The group seemed to think for a moment. Then Spencer stood up and said " I'm with ya, Braw. All the way. C'mon you pussies if this ain't a good reason for you to fight then you might as well castrate yourselves! Or cut off your own breasts." He added to Melisa nad Sasha as an after thought.

"He's right, guys!" Melisa said as she stood up on the other side of the room. "Move your asses if your too scared to rescue Ehkei. But I don't know about you guys but she was a damn awesome kid last time I checked." She smiled at Taku.

"Yeah!" Xavier jumped up, punching the air above him with enthusiasm. "W can do this guys! We dun' know what these guys are packin' but when did that ev'r stop us before? This is the time to show these chums not ta mess with the Untouchable Royals. Lets shove their shit back in their own faces!"

Cheers erupted from the remaining members and soon evryone was on their feet screaming and hollering.

"Alright, _alright!_" Taku bellowed over the noise eventually. "We don't have any information or leads. I'm thinking it _may_be someone from the Blue Bones. But I'm not banking on it. They've been letting up on us lately. Anyone have any suggestions?" Taku raised an eyebrow at the mini army he had before him. He had eighteen people counting himself. According to Matt there were only three other people besides himself that he'd had to offer. So that made twenty-two. Not much but it would do. It would _have_ to do. They had no other choice.

----

There was pain but it was distant. As if felt by a twin in a far of place. Her senses were dulled, her eyelids were heavy and didn't want to open, her limbs felt like they were filled with lead instead of bones, veins, and muscle. She was lying on something, not what she would consider comfortable, but it did the job. she was lying on her hands and her legs were pulled up to her knees held tightly in place by some unseen force. Dully she could feel something dry gaging her.

She could feel a chill that reminded her of ghosts. She could hear noises, but it was as if through water. She could smell mildew, cement, and something very potent that she couldn't quite distinguish.

Forcing her heavy lids open, her vision came fuzzy at first then slowly things became sharp and clear. She seemed to be in some type of storage room. As her hearing came back to her she could hear floorboards above her head creaking with weight as something walked over them.

Groaning deep in her throat she attempted to sit up. Wiggling her body until she was somewhat lifted off the floor, she wished desperately that her hands were freed so she could hold her throbbing head in her hands. Through squinted eyes she turned her head from side to side to see how she was bound.

Noticing her arm had be given a cast she raised an eyebrow.

Deciding she had been abducted by some lunatic she hadn't expected the lunatic to give her medical treatment.

Turning to see the full room she saw Ryuk sitting on a large crate watching her. "So your finally awake huh? Been awhile. I thought you might have died. But that's not possible because _I _will be the one to write your name in the Death Note. So, all I could do was wait here in this stinky old place." He huffed and Ehkei snickered at him. Anything to cause him pain made her happy.

A loud creaking noise made her look towards the only way out, a wooden door that you could only get to by climbing about twenty-five steps. Light Silhouetted a males body as he made his way quietly down the stairs at a leisurely pace. Ehkei could smell something that made her stomach church hungrily coming from the open doorway. She narrowed her eyes as the man came into the light that the small window spilled around her. Her heart was practically beating out of her chested.

He wasn't as menacing as she had expected. He had short black hair and kind eyes. He wasn't exactly what you'd call muscular, and he was wearing half a suit. As if he'd just come home from work and was lounging around. He took a seat in front of her criss-cross-applesauce. He leaned forward to pull her gag out of her mouth so she could speak. "My name is Matsuda. How do you feel?"

Ehkei glared at him. "How do you think I feel? You've got me tied up in a fucking basement, with nothing as a cushion. Oh, and did I mention, you had me tied up?" Her sarcastic tone made Matsuda grimace.

"Sorry, Miss Riliyan. Boss' orders. I wanted to put you in a bedroom, but Light wouldn't have it." He gave her a sad grin.

Ehkei looked Matsuda up and down. No matter how much she wanted to hate this man, there was something in her that wanted to trust and believe him. She choked that notion out at once. He was the enemy and that was that. "Why did you take me here? I know you guys already have the Death Note. You've no use for me. Just let me go home." She hated the fact that she had to beg, but when you looked at the circumstances it didn't look very cast her gaze to the ground. "You could at least give me a blanket and a pillow. . ."

"I know, and that is why I'm here. Light wanted me to let you know that the only reason you are here is because you have the Shinigami eyes. Light doesn't want ot give up half of his life span just to get than and because your eyes won't disappear if your give up ownership of the book, your a key component to Light's plan to reform the world. That means your not going anywhere. Sorry. However; I have been able to get you a decent room. Well, it has a bed anyway. But that's about it. Wouldn't want you making some sort of weapon now would we?" He grinned at her, and suddenly Ehkei realized that she had been hopeing and that that hope had just been sucked into Matsuda's smile and disappeared forever.

Her stomach sank and she suddenly felt like she was going to throw up, but her stomach was empty.

Before she realized it her eyes filmed over with water and the tears streamed down her face. Without free hands she was hopeless to stop them or hide her vulnerability from this man whom he wanted to trust but knew she couldn't.

__

'Taku, Matt. Come save me!'

**A/N: **Do you think you can figure out who the people Matt's gonna bring into the search for Ehkei with him? If you guess it right I'll five you a prize! Seriously I will. I'll draw you a picture if you like. Sorry again that this took litterally all of eternaty to write. I've been busy and still am. I really shouldn't be on here.

You know the drill! Review and you get the next chapter. At least four reviesw or you get nothing! Mwhahaha! And I don't want one person to give two reviews. It doesn't count that way.

YOU GIRLS (and guys?) ARE AMAZING!! Thanks for reading.


	9. Haven't We Lost Our Minds?

**Disclaimer: **_I Do Not Own Death Note.  
_**Claimer: **_I Do Own the Untouchable Royals, Taku, Ehkei, and June. _

**Author's Note: **The title comes from the song "The world as we know it" by Scary Kids Scaring Kids. And yes, that is where I got the name for this story. =] I love that song. It really shows you what the world is like today in full out truth. I might be using lines from this song from now on. I'm not sure yet. ^_0 So this is a very important chapter, with a few people that youall know and love from the anime/manga. Yey. I'm kind of excited to finally get this thing out. I'm ready to end this story and start a new one. It might be a Shugo Chara fanfic. But I'm not sure yet. If it isn't then most likely it will be Naruto. Make sure to check it out when this is done. =]

I'm so excited though. This is my longest chapter yet. ^_0. Here we go!

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**Chapter Nine: Haven't We Lost Our Minds?**

Mello watched cautiously from the couch as Matt paced the room. Now that they knew what was up it didn't seem like they needed to hurry as much, but Matt was still on edge. This made Mello antsy. Matt was usually the cool headed one, not Mello. Now that the tides had been turned around Mello wasn't sure what to do for his friend.

He knew logically what to do to solve the situation. They needed to research and build up a plan for once the found where Yagami's headquarters were located. However; he had no idea of how to comfort his friend on the way to the resolution.

With no leads on where Yagami could possibly be he was out of options. He had no where else to look, no speck of a clue. Squat, zilch, nadda, zippo.

Matt finally sat down next to Mello and leaned his head back against the couch. "We need to tell Taku what's going on." he said after a moment of staring at the ceiling.

"Yes."

"The _whole_ story. Even about the notebook. He deserves to know why his sister was taken from him, and why all the drama with his father ever even started."

"Yes. . ."

"Mello. . I hate to have to be the one to say it, but. . one of us needs to call _him_. He's our only hope you know." Matt's eyes never left the ceiling.

". . ."

Matt sighed. Standing he pulled out his phone to make the necessary phone calls.

----

Taku was staying at Spencer's house while his was still a crime scene. The police had ordered him to leave the premises earlier that day after they'd interrogated him to make sure he wasn't a suspect. As if. Taku paced around Spencer's living room unrelentlessly. He was tired and numb but sleep evaded him cruelly. Spencer was snoring in the next room over.

Taku realized suddenly that he wasn't even thinking anymore. Thoughts seemed to evade him also. When had that happened? When had he stopped thinking of what could be happening to Ehkei at this very moment and how to get her out?

Exhausted Taku sat on the edge of his makeshift couch pallet, and put his face in his hands. His face was wet and now he noticed his running nose and how his eyes burned. He could tell that the frown would be permanently etched into his face until he saw his sister again. His neck and shoulders ached from holding his head up throughout the long day. His thighs hurt from all the pacing he had done. His feet ached and begged for a rest. His head was pounding. The blood rushing loudly in his ears. The tears began to flow hot and salty down his cheeks. He did not bother to wipe them away.

Suddenly his cell phone rang in his pocket. Sniffling he pulled it out to find that Matt obviously had something to say. So he answered it. "Hello?" His voice cracked.

"Yo, man. I have some valuable information you need to know. It's very complicated and you might not understand i-"

"If it will help us find Ehkei I'll be able to under stand it perfectly!" Taku jumped to his feet, his exhaustion forgotten.

Matt sighed. "Okay, listen carefully, you'll need to remember everything I tell you. You mother owned a book called a 'Death Note'. . ."

----

A computer screen shown light on a young mans pale face. His black eyes skimmed through the information scrolling across it. The information was from an old friend that he had never expected to hear from again. So it came as an even bigger surprise that he was practically begging for help. He had accepted but only because he didn't have any other case to work on at the moment. Actually he had just caught him as he was wrapping up the last one.

"Mr. Aizawa."

"Hmm?"

"Please look over this information also. I will need the assistance of the police on this one."

"Yeah, sure." He glanced over his morning/late night paper to see how much he needed to read and was surprised to only find a few paragraphs. I have printed it out so you may go home now and get some rest. You've been working very hard. Thank you for your help."

"Uh. . Yeah, sure. Anytime." He stood and takign the printouts made his way to the door. Leaving the young man behind he made his way out to his car.

When the door was shut behind him, the pale young man looked back at the screen. "How did you get yourself into a mess like this Matt?" He sighed as he reread all of the information Matt had sent him. Twisting his hair he pulled out a cup of tea and took a sip, grimacing when he found that it was cold.

"Light Yagami huh? And a Death Note? Hump" This could get dirty.

----

Taku couldn't find the words to speak. Could this be real? A notebook that could kill someone? And Ehkei had used it? There was no way Ehkei would get involved with something like that. But his mother had used it also? Had she used it on herself and tried to use it on his father also but it backfired? Was that possible? And even if that were what happened, how could his mother use something like that? She was always a gentle person. Ehkei also was kind and gentle yes she could put a grown man on his ass if she wanted to but she wasn't generally an angry person. The only reason she fought was to defend herself. When their parents had died he was the only one there and she didn't want to be a burden to him.

Could the Death Note just be another way not to burden him?

"Matt. . "

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Uh. . . How long has she had it?"

"We can't know for sure since it was your mother's before she died. We can't know if she gave it to her before she died or if Ehkei found it after she died. And if she did find it, when she found it. We've only been on her heels for the past few weeks. However, I can safely say that she never used it frequently like she was before Yagami kidnapped her."

". . . oh. Well. Uugh! How the hell are we suposed to find this guys fucking hide out if we know basically nothing about him!??!" Taku's frustration burst forth and Matt had to pull the phone away from his era for a moment.

"Calm down, man. We're working on it. We've got an old friend whose a really big detective for the FBI." when Matt heard Taku's intake of breath he continued on hurriedly. "Don't worry! You can trust him! He may be with the police but that doesn't mean anything. Frankly he doesn't care much for gangs. The Untouchable Royals are perfectly safe from government eyes. I swear it to you! Besides, Mello and I have known him our whole lives. We grew up together. There isn't a case he can't crack."

Taku had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach that he couldn't ignore, even with Matt's reassurances. It was hard to trust any government official. "Uh, yeah, So, when are we going to meet him?"

"He's flying over tomorrow, him and a buddy will be here around nine."

"Do you want me to bring my crew over to your headquarters then?"

Matt blew out a breath. "Huhn. . . Do it in intervals. Split your group up into four groups. Come at intervals of thirty minutes to an hour. You should start coming around nine to ten thirty. Yeah, I think that'll be good."

"Yeah, okay. See you then."

"Yeah." They hung up then.

Taku sat down on the couch, exhaustion finally taking over. Now that he knew they would have more brain power on their side other than just himself, Matt and this Mello fellow, he felt a little better. Even if it was someone from the FBI. He felt as if he'd take help from anyone at that moment. Lying down, he closed his eyes and the next thing he knew, the sun was rising.

----

Ehkei's eyes fluttered open. All she saw was white. A white ceiling, white walls, white carpet, white mattress, white mattress, white clothes. White was everywhere except in the corner the room where a Shinigami in all black stood looming. As if in a daze she sat up on the two mattresses stacked on her floor. A box spring and a memory foam mattress. Extremely comfortable she noticed.

Someone had redressed her in all white. The sports bra that she wore now was a light gray and could be seen through the thin tank top she had on. Her skirt was pleated and came down to mid thigh. It was made from a very comfortable cotton-like fabric. She had on white knee high socks also. Her underwear was normal bikini white _Fruit of the Loom_.

She wrapped her arms around herself and faced the Shinigami. "Ryuk. Where is the Death Note?"

"In the possession Misa Amane."

Ehkei looked down at her sheets and slumped her shoulders. "Is there no way to get out of here?" She looked at the cast on her wrist and held it up to eye level to examine it. "Who dressed me?" She asked quietly after a moment.

"That Misa girl." Ryuk said and walked closer to her, stopping beside her makeshift bed. The only furniture in the room. Ehkei sighed and let her body fall back onto the mattress.

"What are we going to do Ryuk? I know there won't be an easy way out of this room will there?"

"Actually, the door is unlocked." He pointed towards it.

"Really?" Standing up, Ehkei walked over to the door and tentatively turned the brass knob. The door creaked open. Ehkei stood in the cracked door way for a moment and stared out of it. _'It can't be this easy. Do I stay here and wait for someone to come and get me? Or do I take my chance and run for it? There's no way they'd leave the whole place unguarded. Could I take down whom ever they have on watch? Besides I can't leave the Death Note here with these people. I don't know how much damage they'll do with it. And anyway, they could probably kill me with it if I just run. No I better stay here.' _She thought and closed the door.

Ryuk stared at her as she leaned her head against the door and began murmuring to herself. He couldn't hear the words, but it sounded like gibberish to him. Maybe another language?

She stayed like that for a few more hours, until finally, the sound of foot steps coming down a hall caused her to walk back to the bed and lie down on it once more.

The door opened as she closed her eyes to pretend to sleep. She heard footsteps walking up to the bed. "Hey! Wake up you lazy bitch!" A high annoying voice called to her.

Ehkei squinted open an eye to see who such an annoying voice could belong to and then realized that Misa Amane had a voice just like that one. She sat up and looked at the wall in front of her instead of the girl.

Misa huffed and stomped her foot. Trying to get Ehkei's attention and failing. "Ugh. Light wants you to eat this and then come down to the parlor." The attitude in her voice made Ehkei turn her head. Misa set a tray of food down on the mattress.

She rose to her knees on the mattress making her the same height as Misa. "And why would I do something for you bastards?" Her voice was ice cold and hard as granite. Misa flinched then narrowed her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye Ehkei could see Misa's hand slowly raising. When Ehkei narrowed her eyes back at her, challenging her, Misa's hand flew. Aiming for Ehkei's cheek. Having seen this coming, Ehkei raised her arm to block it on instinct. When Misa's arm made contact with Ehkei's cast she grimaced and bit her tongue to stop from crying out. Misa smirked.

"That's why. No matter what you try to do to protect yourself, we can still harm your pitiful defenses." The malice in her voice made Ehkei's blood boil. Laying an hand over her aching wrist she looked away from Misa and sank down to the mattress once more.

"That may be so, But I will not back down. There is nothing you can do to stop the people who love me from coming and tearing your sorry hide apart. Piece by piece." She looked at Misa once more, her eyes a deadly warning.

Misa scowled, then turned on her heel and marched from the room. Slamming the door on her way out.

"I think that went pretty well, don't you Ryuk?" She turned a smiling face at the Shiniagmi standing next to her, chuckling.

----

"Jeesh, What's the point in doing all of this again?" Spencer asked Taku when the sent out the last group before theirs.

"I'm not sure really. I guess it's just to make sure we aren't followed, that's be really easy to do with a big group of people." Taku sat back on the stairs on Spencer's front porch. "I wonder why Matt would bring in an FBI officer? That kid doesn't know what hes doing does he?"

Spencer turned to him. "'Course he knows what hes doing. He said he trusts this guy didn't he? That's saying something. Do you know who Matt is anyway?"

"What do you mean by that?" Taku laid his chin in his palm and turned his face to Spencer.

"Matt and Mello are arms dealers around here. That's where we get most of our weapons from. They're really good at their job and I'm pretty sure that's how they got into this mess in the first place."

"What?" Taku's eyes widened and he turned to face Spencer the whole way.

"Yeah, My educated guess would be that whoever kidnapped your sister wanted this 'Death Note' and because its a weapon they hired Mello and Matt to find it for them. Either Matt was only getting closer to your sister to get it, or he really start to like her, I'm not sure. but the guy really seems sincere. I think we can trust his judgement."

Taku stared at Spencer in disbelief. "How could you have known this for so long and never told me? This is vital information!" Taku stood up and looked down on Spencer. Anger building up. His sister had been with that creep. Who knew what he was capable of with all those weapons at his disposal?

Spencer threw up his hands in defense. "Sorry, man! Didn't know you'd've cared. And besides, that's not what matters now anyway. Whether Matt wants the notebook for himself or not he definitely wants your sister back. There's no way around that. Obviously your sister could be anyone's trump card with such a powerful weapon backing her, and if Matt doesn't want her back because he wants to get it on with her, then its because she knows the secrets of the notebook. You're gonna get your sister back one way or another, bro. So stop worrying and just listen to what the man says. Besides, if he does turn against us, we've got the whole gang to back us up. What's he got? A couple of Po Po's. Nothing we can't handle. At the very least we could figure out what they know and then go get her ourselves if we think they might try to stab us in the back." Spencer put his hands behind his head and leaned back onto the step behind him, tapping his foot to an unknown beat.

"Yeah, you've got a point." Taku closed his eyes and rested his chin in his palm once more. He idly traced the ugly scar on the right side of his neck, remembering all the things he and his sister had been through together, and how much she truly meant to him.

Time passed in silence and after each couple of minutes Spencer would sigh heavily and check his watch. After eight sighed he smiled and jumped up. Yeah! Get the guys it's time to go!" Taku's team was himself, Spencer and the threes and deuce of T.U.R. Which made a total of six people. Not too bad he hoped. He really didn't want to get on the bad side of this guy right from the start.

When they arrived at Matt's headquarters Taku was slightly surprised to see that it was just an ordinary abandoned warehouse. Nothing special. Then they walked inside and Taku had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming. It look kind of elegant, in a depressed sort of way. You could tell it has housed soldiers of some sort before. Taku guessed it was some kind of gang or mafia. The curtains were thick and a deep crimson red color. He wondered what the point in curtains was when all of the windows were boarded up anyway? There was a comfortable looking expensive couch and a few other cushioned chairs here and there. The rug looked like it came from a different time period completely and the light source was an electric candle chandelier. Off to the far right there was a stair case leading up to the top floor and a door on the side of it to whom Taku guessed another staircase led downstairs. There was a narrow dimly lighted hallway next to this staircase and there could be voices and footsteps heard coming from somewhere in it's depths. Taku guessed that was the hallway to where they either slept of kept their merchandise.

Taku looked over his shoulder towards Spencer and chuckled when he saw his expression. Spencer's eyes were bugging out of his head and his jaw was practically touching the floor. His arms had gone slack and his shoulders were hunching forward. He reminded Taku of an ape. The rest of the team had expressions of similar quality.

The steps and voices grew louder and Taku suddenly recognized Melisa's loud voice as she spoke too quickly for him to make out the words. Soon after this she emerged from around the corner along with the rest of The Untouchable Royals that had stayed by Taku's side. He let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding in and ran to embrace her. She gasped as he almost made her lose her balance and then pushed him away. "What is wrong with you? Are you seriously that stressed out?" She raised her eyebrow.

Taku looked at the ground. "I had no idea where I was sending you guys." His head snapped back to her. "So of course I was nervous and worried about you're safety!" Her expression softened slightly.

"Dude! You'll never guess who Matt's little friend is! It's kind of amusing actually." Jason, a Jack, called to him over Dai, a King's, head.

Taku looked at him skeptically. "Why? Is it someone we've run into before or something?"

"Hah, no way, man!" It was Marko who answered this time, also a Jack.

"This guys something else. . . I think he might be albino." Zack said, another King. Taku raised an eyebrow.

"And hes younger than any detective I've ever seen. Especially in the States." the Eight, Bill said, making his way around Sasha, a Queen.

"Seriously? I can't believe you guys already got to meet him. So unfair." Spencer said coming up behind Taku and laying his hand on his shoulder.

Sasha nodded her head. "You didn't think they would make us just sit here and wait for you guys to show did you?" She put her hand on her hip.

David, a Three, scratched his temple and chuckled weakly. "Well, uh, we kinda did."She smiled at her sheepishly.

This made Sasha snort and walk over to the couch that none of Taku's team had even so much as touched."Anyway, they'll be her soon. The two detectives that flew here and then Mello and Matt too. So just sit and become comfortable." She waved her hand in every direction lazily as she stretched out on the sofa.

Taku walked over to the edge of the sitting area. He made sure he was the closest one to the hallway he knew they would come from. Everyone except himself and Spencer sat on the chairs, sofa, or the floor if they're were no spots left.

There was silence for a few moments as everyone collected their thoughts and anticipated the detectives and arms dealers arrivals. When footsteps could be heard everyone on Taku's team whom had yet to meet the new comers was on edge their limbs tensed. Taku was half turned to the hall and half to his gang members. When an old man with balding hair and glasses appeared he was taken off guard. "Who-?"

"I am Roger. Would you like some tea while you wait?"

Dumbfounded, Taku began to stutter. "Uh - I-I How is that relevant to anything?"

Roger smiled and replied kindly. "Nothing really, sir. However, what would we do if you and your friends became dehydrated? What can I get you? We have just about everything." He folded his arms in from of him and waited patiently through thick eyebrows.

Taku raised an eyebrow. "Well guys? What'll it be?" He said as he turned to back to them. They were staring.

"Oh, uh - light beer" Hugo, a King, answered. Breaking everyone's little trance. A chorus of all kinda of drinks was called out at the same time and Roger wrote each one down on a small notepad. How he heard them all Taku couldn't comprehend. When he was done writing, Roger looked at Taku expectantly.

"Oh, uh. Just a bottle of water. Thank you." He ducked his head slightly as if he were bowing to the elder. Roger returned the gesture before leaving the room.

Silence. Taku looked at the only people in his gang that were willing to risk their lives to get something that was precious to only one of them back. Such loyalty made his heart ache. but even more so that not even the highest and most respected member of The Untouchable Royals didn't so much as show concern for the situation. Taku had decided that the deeper they went into the gang the harder and colder their hearts became. He realized suddenly that that was the opposite of what he wanted to become. He had always wanted to excel in the gang to become the top dog and give out a ton of orders and have everyone know his name and follow after him blindly. But mainly he had wanted to please his father and become as strong as he had been. Now Taku realized that all of his dreams were pathetic. There was no glory in becoming an Ace in the Untouchable Royals and his father had not been as strong as he'd let on to be. He had been a coward.

Looking at the men and women gathered before him, watching him carefully, and with so much respect, something seemed to click in his brain. The only ting he could think of to make this picture better would be if he had the most important woman in his life clinging to his arm. Riliyan. He nodded at the group before him and they jumped into individual conversations as they had been before Roger had come. Taku realized that this was what his dream should have been. A select few men and women whom he knew he could trust and who trusted and respected him back. A close friend and family always close by. Someone to smile at him when e needed it.

Taku looked down at his hands and studied the few scars here and there, the scars on his knuckles that had been opened and reopened, time and time again. At the dry cracking skin and the nails that needed to be cut soon.

He could feel his sister's last touch. They had been fighting about Matt and he had hugged her, when she pulled back she had grabbed his hands and pulled them from her shoulders. That was their last contact with each other. It was a good thing however that he had left her on a decent note, and the fight hadn't been the last thing they'd said to each other. His eyes softened and he leaned against the wall that was behind him. He stared at the ceiling. Bringing his hand up to his neck he traced the scar there again. He had gotten it saving his sister's life. He had almost died himself, but it was worth it. Ehkei never liked to look at it he knew. But you couldn't just get rid of a scar from a blade. He smiled slightly as he remembered the time he had spent in the hospital for it.

__

*As if he were hearing from underwater, Taku heard someone crying. No sobbing, huge tears. It reminded him of a goddess crying a river for a loved one lost in battle.

His senses slowly coming back to him, his hand felt warm and there was something heavy on his chest, making it hard to breath. He could hear beeping and humming from all around him. Sticky things were stuck to his neck, temples and chest. There was obviously something taped to his neck also. Something large, that extended to his chest and wrapped the whole way around his upper breast muscles to connect back to the neck by the shoulder.

_Prying his eyes open, Taku looked to the side to see the source of the tears. The heavy thing on his chest, making it hard to breath was what appeared to be a young girl. With white blond hair and pale skin. Her eyes were closed but her face was turned towards him. He realized the warmth covering his hand was her hand. Small and pixie like. The face of the Goddess was wet and more tears were flowing from underneath her eyelids. A never ending river. Like the River Styx._

_As her shoulders shook her hair began to slip over her face and shield it from him. She turned her face into his chest and sobbed harder. Taku wondered what could have caused this Angel to cry so severely. Suddenly he wanted to punish such a vile person. Wanting to comfort her he lifted the hand she wasn't clutching and let it rest on top of her head. She stopped moving completely. He moved his hand back and forth. Moving his lips slightly he shushed her softly._

_She began to lift her head from the now wet surface of his chest. Very slowly, cautiously she lifted her face to look at him. When the full force of her redened sea-blue eyes gazed at him it was as if he had been hit with a hammer. So beautiful. And she had been crying for him. She lifted her free hand from his chest and placed it lightly on his cheek._

_Unthinkingly he turned his face into its warmth. Closing his eyes he was suddenly freezing cold. He heard her sniffle and he opened his eyes again to look at her as more tears cascaded down her cheeks. Her expression had changed though. Her eyes shown with happiness and relief, they softened and her grip on his hand tightened. She began to rise. Her face coming closer and closer to his. When her lips pressed softly to his forehead he felt as if he had been kissed by the archangel Gabriel herself. He closed his eyes once more and enjoyed the feel of her warm, soft lips on his clammy cold skin._

_When she pulled back she placed both of her hands on the sides of his face and looked into eyes that mirrored his own. "How are you feeling?" Her voice was low and horse from all of her tears._

_Trying to find his voice he answered her "Better, now that I see you."_

_She smiled a bright smile at him through the tears still rolling down her cheeks. The flow was slowing. "That's good." She made a feeble attempt at a laugh. Kissing his forehead again she sat on the edge of the bed. Watching him carefully her hands slowly fell from his face to lay lightly over his bandaged chest and neck. _

_Taku looked down at himself and had to wince. "I guess I could have been more careful, huh?" She laughed again and sniffled. Looking at her again he lifted his hand to whip the tears from her eyes. "Don't cry, baby. I'm alright. It's just a scratch." He gave her a bright smile. _

_"I'm so sorry! This is all my fault! I should have been more careful. Paid more attention to what was going on around me. It's my fault you're in here, I-"_

_"Shh. No it's not. It's not." He lifted his heavy hand to press it against her cheek. She pressed her still damp face into his palm. "I'm just glad you're okay." She looked at him with sad eyes and nodded silently. Sniffling again she lifted her own hand to place it over his. _

_She lightly massaged the bandages over his neck and said. "It's my fault that you're going to have this ugly scar marring your beautiful body."_

_Taku scrunched his nose. "Ugly? What are you talking about? Anything that I have ever gotten because of you will always be beautiful in my eyes. This scar will always remind me of everything I went through to keep you safe. Look at yourself." He pushed her back a little and nodded towards her_ _body. "Not a scar on __you __to mar your perfect body. And I'm to thank for that. Even if I become the Beast from all the battles I fight for you, it will all be worth it because you are unmaimed. Stay like that and I will be the happiest brother alive." He smiled at her and rubbed her cheek with his calloused thumb._

_A truly bright smile lit up her eyes and she let herself fall to embrace him as tightly as she could without hurting him. "I will do anything to make you happy, Jackson. I love you." She nuzzled his neck and planted a gentle kiss on his wounded side._

_Clasping the back of her neck to pull her into a tighter embrace her whispered in her ear, "I love you too, Riliyan."*_

She stayed overnight in the hospital as often as the nurses would allow her those next couple weeks that he was there. she would leave and comeback as early as possible and stay until she was practically thrown out. Sometimes Taku thought that she looked worse than he did. She was always so tired. At those times he would make her leave and go get some rest a shower and clean clothes. She'd come back looking like a worried mother. But she smelled better nonetheless.

Taku smiled as Roger came back and handed him a bottle of Aquafina water. Nodding his head he opened it and took a sip as Rger distributed the rest of the drinks. "How much longer do we have to wait?" He asked impatiently.

"No longer, Mr. Akiyama, I assure you." A voice said from the hallway. Taku turned to face the newcomer. He was small, he looked delicate. He had hair the color of Ehkei's and most likely his own if he had ever let it grow. He had large black eyes and pale whiet skin. He carried robot toys and finger puppets in his arms. He wore a baggy white, button up shirt and baggy pants that could have been made from cotton He also wore white socks that could have bee slightly too big.

"Who are you?" Taku asked. Skeptical of the kid.

"I. . Am Near. The detective Matthew asked to come and help out. This is Aizawa, my assistant." He gestured at the man behind him with a small fro.

Taku's forehead scrunched up. "You've got to be kidding me? This kid is the guy Matt trusts so much? Hah! How old are you anyway? 10? 12?"

Near walked past Taku and made his way to the table that a few of is men were currently sitting on. When Near put his toys on the table they slipped off of it and sat down on the floor. Near sat also, pulling a knee up to his chest and the other underneath himself. "I assure you, Mr. Akiyama, this is not joke. And if you must know I am eighteen years old. I grew up with Matthew and Mello in an orphanage in England. Now would you please come this way, I have somethings we need to discus." He beckoned Taku and Spencer towards the table that the rest of his men were now crowded around. "will you please sit here?" He pointed to the spot at the end f the table that was free.

"Uh. Sure." Taku answered, a litle dubfounded. "Will Matt and Mell be joining?"

"In a few minutes they should arrive. Mello is very self conscious. Give them a little bit to get everything in order."

"Why should he be self conscious around a bunch of guys?" Xavier, a King, blurted out, and received a kick in the back by Melisa's boot. "Ow!that hurt, you little whore!" This got him another, rougher, kick in the spine. He grumbled and scooted a little farther away from her, rubbing his back.

Near looked at him as he set up some kind of map with his various toys, marking a few with a black or white sharpie. "Mello received a scar, not unlike Taku's, from a fire a few years back. It covers half of his face and extends down most of his back. It's rather ugly if you ask me. If you do not wish to be beaten to death, suggest you not stare at it or make comments on it either."

"Oh, okay." Xavier said.

Mello and Matt joined the group a few minutes later. Mello was decked out in leather and was presently eating a chocolate bar. Matt was wearing his usual stripes and jeans. both wore boots. This gave Taku a feeling that they might begin the investigation that very night.

The next few hours were spent mapping out locations and possible hideouts. Going over plans for how to find Yagami's right hideout and then how they were going to get Ehkei back once they figured this information out. they also went over guidelines for who was allowed to act and when, what you should d to protect yourself.

By sunrise everyone was tired and a few of Taku's members had already passed out from exhaustion. The rest were falling asleep standing. "May we stay the night here Matt?" Taku asked as he surveyed his men and women.

"Yeah, sure. We have an early night tonight. They can crash in here if they like. Otherwise we have spare bedrooms that accommodate about five nicely down the hall. Take your pick and have a good days rest. You'll need it." When Taku nodded and looked down at the floor, Matt put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get her back alive. I swear it!." Taku looked him sternly in the eyes.

"Yes. We will. Be up and ready by the time we have to leave, Matt. I'll see you then." Taku nodded to him and sk\hook off his hand as he made his way to a bedroom in the hall.

----

Matt walked into his room and fell onto the bed rubbing his eyes. Opening them again, he stared at the dark ceiling above him. and although he wasn't religious he began to pray. _'God, please keep her safe. Don't let her be hared. If not for her sake or mine, then for her brother's. That man will do anything for her. I can't imagine his pain. Help us to find her and rescue her as soon as possible. Please. Don't let her be harmed.'_ As matt rolled under his covers a lone tear ran down his cheek as he remembered her gentle caress. Hugging himself, he silently cried himself to sleep.


	10. Tension Is Rising And Rising

**Disclaimer: **_I Do Not Own Death Note.  
_**Claimer: **_I Own Taku, Ehkei And The Untouchable Royals._

**Author's note:** Happy New Year guys! I hope you like it. This chapters theme is Hope. Adn I hope you guys have as much hope for the new year as I do. Enjoy! The title of this chapter also came from Scary Kids Scaring Kids' sonf "The world as we know it."

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**Chapter Ten: Tension Is Rising And Rising**

Ehkei padded down the hall quietly. She was heading towards the parlor as she had been asked. She'd eaten all of her food with cautious starvation. Ryuk followed behind her, silently hovering over her shoulder. She stopped in front of what she assumed was where they wanted her. Soft voices could be heard from inside. Without hesitation or a warning to those inside she opened the door and walked in. Ryuk followed without a word.

"Ahh, Welcome, Ehkei! So good to finally meet you face to face. And Ryuk too!" A young man with light brown hair said from a rather comfortable looking chair by a fire. Ehkei had jolt as she realized that she'd met this man before. She had served him a few times at the Club. However, then he had treated her with respect, unlike the other men. Light Yagami. Misa sat to his left and Matsuda on the right. It didn't surprise her that this man could see Ryuk in the slightest, mainly because the Death Note was sitting in his lap.

Ehkei scoffed at him and gently let the door fall back to rest on the frame, making sure it never clicked shut. "Yeah, right. Whats with the gay outfit?" She asked pointing at her white attire.

Misa huffed. "You have no taste." She turned her face away from her, sulking.

"Aww I think it's cute, Misa Misa!" Matsuda chimed in cheerfully. Ehkei rolled her eyes.

"What do you want with me? Seriously? You can do your thing of 'World Domination' without lil' ol' me." She pointed to herself innocently.

Light smiled. "Yes I could, but you make it easier. And besides, if I don't use you to my advantage, your name goes in here too." Ehkei wasn't too surprised to hear this information.

"What is your true goal?"

"I want a new world. Free of crime. . . If you decide not to help us, your brother and his friends die. Along with you, Ehkei." He nodded to her. "If you help me reform the world I will spare your life. You can have all the money you want. Your brother will be spared as well. What do you say?"

"What about _my _friends? What about all the other people I care about? Are you just going to kill them off too?" When he gave her a chilling stare she growled at him. "You bastard! You're just like a death row inmate! All you want to do is murder people!"In her anger she ran towards him. "How could anyone be as much of a monster as you are? All you're doing is dwindling the population." Her voice was rising dangerously high. Ryuk was near the door chuckling. "There's no way you can get rid of crime. you can't catch every bad guy. It's impossible! If you had even a tenth of a brain you'd realize that!" Light stood then and before Ehkei could register what was happening her face had been forced to the side and her cheek was burning. Looking back and putting a hand to her cheek she realized he had slapped her.

"If you know whats good for you, you'll say yes." He narrowed his eyes. Ehkei stared at them, wondering how someone with such a pretty face could be so cold underneath. She looked over at Misa to see her sneering at her. Matsuda however, looked slightly pained, sitting there holding the Death Note. Looking back at him she glared as fircely as she could. When she still hadn't answered he grabbed her arm roughly and puleld her to him. Whispering in her ear he said. "You have ten seconds to answer me or you all die."

Ehkei ground her teeth together. _' What do I do? No. . . I can't let any of them die. But. . What about Matt? He's not guaranteed. .' _

"Five seconds"

She squeezed her eyes shut. _'Damn it! I can't think straight.. . ' _He tightened his grip on her arm and made her cry out. Before she realized her lips had moved she'd answered him. "Okay. . I'll do it."

She could practically feel his smile spread over his face. "Good. Now let us get to work." releasing her he walked back to his chair as if nothing had happened and lightly traced his finger over Misa's jaw line. She smiled at him seductively. Ehkei's stomach churned uneasily. Matsuda placed the Death Note on the coffee table before them and opened it up to the first clean page. He also pulled out a stack of papers and files from a briefcase beside him. "I want you to tell me the names of these men and the correct spellings. I will write them down in the Death Note." Light said.

Ehkei looked down at her feet. They felt like two lead blocks as she moved them towards the table. She sat down on the floor and picked up the first file. There was a picture of a man on it. His face needed to be shaved, he had blank black eyes and glossy hair. His name read Logan Bricker. Sighing heavily and closing her eyes she reverted into herself so she didn't need to know the pain of killing a man whom hadn't hurt her in anyway. She let herself fall over the edge of her consciousness, into the black until she was numb to everything physical thing. "Logan Bricker. L-o-g-a-n B-r-i-c-k-e-r." When she picked up the next file it was roboticaly. Her eyes became dull, her movements lost emotion.

When Light dismissed her later that night she didn't think, didn't feel as she walked to her white washed room. Ryuk by her side. If the shinigami had said anything to her , asked her what was wrong with her, she didn't hear it. So, she couldn't answer it.

----

_~*~Matt's was in darkness, off to the right there was a sliver of light. He couldn't tell if it was close or far. In his head he heard a voice whispering to him. Saying his name. Beckoning him towards the light. He eased himself off of his bed and took a few cautious steps in the dark. The light got slightly closer. The voice grew slightly louder with ever step. The words becoming more clear. He walked faster, but the light didn't seem to be getting closer any faster than before. The voice seemed like it belonged to someone he knew. But who? He began to run. The sliver of light began to widen. The voice getting louder and clearer. The words and beckons almost understandable. A few steps later the light widened so much that the light was blinding and Ehkei's voice rang clear as a bell. "Mail, Mail. . . Help!" _

_Sprinting the last distance into the light Matt was suddenly in a white room. Red stains, covered the walls and floor, bodys were all around him. Startled he took a step back, but accidentaly bumped into something. Turning on his heel he looked to see what it was. _

_Before him stood Ehkei drenched in blood, on the brink of death. She collapsed into his arms and they sank to the ground. "Mail, Save me." She began to reach for his face but her hand dropped and her eyes closed. ~*~_

Matt sat up in bed violently, drenched in his own sweat. The sheets were almost translucent due to all of his perspiration. A candle burned on the night stand next to him. Matt put his face in his hands and held back a scream. The image of Ehkei covered in blood made his blood boil so he snapped his eyes open again and got out of bed to get a hot shower.

When the water was scalding hot he numbly stepped in, hardly feeling the burning tingles that came from hot water over freezing skin. When the feeling finally came back into his skin he lowered the temperature and began to wash himself with stiff limbs. No matter how hard he tried that image of her stuck in his brain like glue.

After his shower Matt walked back to his room with a towel haphazardly wrapped around his waist in a daze. Matt had to get Ehkei back. He just had too. He refused to let himself think of what could happen otherwise.

Emotions bubbling over, he reached out and punched the warehouse wall beside him with all of his might. He heard the metal bend under his strength to engulf his fist. Breathing heavy he roughly wretched his fist from the wall cutting it open in places from the sharp edges of the metal.

"Damn it! Light you dick-less-" he punched the wall again, "-mother fucking-" his other fist connected with the wall creating yet another large dent, "-horse humping-" another punch, another dent, "-prostitute raping-" another punch, harder than the others, "-hoe bag-" His fists and the wall were covered in blood when his fist made another dent in the metal, "-thunder cunt-" Blood splattered to hit his face with the next punch, "-gutless-" more blood, Matt stopped feeling the pain by this point, "-homosexual-" there were so many dents in that part of the wall he needed to take a few steps down the hall for a free piece of metal, "-duchebag-" when his fist connected with the metal this time he could feel something pulling him back by the shoulder, he shoved it away, "-manipulating son. of. a. bitch." with each word another punch, and more hands pulling him back. "Girlfriend kidnapping BASTARD!" with one final punch the metal in the wall engulfed his hand up to his wrist. Blood ran from his fist down to his elbow and dripped to the ground from there. The blood on his face was now laced with the salty tears running down his cheeks. The hands on his shoulders gently turned him away from the dented bloody mess of a wall as sobs began to rack his body.

"Get ahold of yourself, Matt! You'll be no good to us if you beat yourself up like this." Mello's cold voice said in Matt's ear.

Matt turned to him slowly. Tears still flowing. When he went to whip the tears from his face he winced at the pain of the motion. His hands were torn raw. "Don't. . Mello." Matt lowered his head and stared at his blood stained feet. The white towel was ruined. "I-" Matt fell silent once again. More tears came and Matt fell to the ground leaning against the opposite wall and placing his face into his ruined hands, ignoring the pain it caused him. He figured to must have been nothing compared to what Ehkei could be going through.

He lightly heard Mello kneeling down next to him. Mello lightly pulled at Matt's hands to bring them away from his face. Matt refused to look at him,Ashamed of his vulnerability.

Mello knew the feeling. When he had come to Matt with the wounds that were now a horrid scar covering most of his face and back he had felt so vulnerable and ashamed of that same vulnerability that he didn't talk for almost three weeks. Mello waited for Matt to look at him, when he didn't he growled and grabbed his bloodied chin an d forced him to look at him. "Listen to me, Matthew. Even if you sulk here and punch a hole into every square inch of this warehouse it will not help the cause." Matt cast his eyes down. "Damn it, look at me!" Mello waited again, a scowl on his scared face. "You can feel like shit for as long as you want but hurting yourself like this isn't helping Ehkei in any way, shape, or form! So suck it up, clean up, and get ready to go and rescue the dumb bitch!"

Matt's nostrals flared. "She is not a dumb bitch! Take that back you asshole!"

Mello grinned. "Good, now remember that anger and spit fire at your enemies not me." He stood and held out his hand to Matt. "And for God's sake put some real clothes on. I suggest a wholenother shower. Unless you want to see Riliyan again covered in your own gore." Mello waved his hand over his shoulder as he walked away down the dim corridor.

Matt sighed and looked down at his hands. Just looking at the blood dripping from the open cuts made his stomach churn. The smell began to make its way into his nostrils and he feared he might puke. Taking Mello's advice he went back into the bathroom and took another shower.

When he came out of the bathroom for the second time that night he was the cleanest he had ever been and his hands had bandages on them up to his wrists. The towel he know wore was black and when he walked to his room he looked straight ahead of him ignoring the bloody dented mess of the wall on the way there.

Walking into his room he decided on something different than his regular attire. He slipped on black and neon green plaid boxers and tight, low-rise, black leather pants. Similar to Mello's. Knee high black socks followed after and a pair of black boots with green laces that came up to just below his knee. The belt he put on was neon green also and had a gun holster attached to it. He slipped a neon green long sleeve, high necked, under armor top, a brown gun holster followed after. He then put on a rather thick, black leather vest. Taking a step to the dresser he pulled out a pair of goggles that were tinted green and strapped them above his forehead Taking a deep breath be gently pulled his old black gloves over his wounded hands.

Once he was dressed he walked out of his room and back towards the rooms Taku and his men were using. He met Taku halfway there in the kitchen. "Making anything good?" he asked casually.

Taku glanced at him before he continued to rummage though the pantry. "Maybe, if you guys had anything good."

Matt chuckled lightly. "You've got a point. I'd tell you where Mello hides his chocolate but then he'd kill me. Then what good would I be to Ehkei?" He looked down at his hands and mentally thanked God that it was Mello whom had heard and found him earlier and not someone else.

Taku didn't say anything but he paused in hie pursuit of food for a moment before continuing on. Matt stood and opened a cupboard and pulled out a few plates and a skillet, then a mixing bowl and a few spices. Almost out of nowhere Taku watched Matt pull out about a dozen eggs and a loaf of white bread. Then some syrup and other ingredients.

"Sorry, man, no sausage. How do you like your french toast?" Matt smiled slightly as he set to work making the egg mixture. Adding a few seasonings at Taku's request.

As the toast was almost done cooking a few of Taku's men and Sasha came floating in wondering what the delicious smell was. Taku had Xavier set the table and pour orange juice for all of the men and the

one woman going out scouting that night. They had decided to let the younger members go out on the scouting and information gathering trips so that the more experienced men and women would go when they rescued Ehkei. Taku didn't want young blood on his hands, and frankly, neither did Matt or Near. Mello couldn't've cared less.

When the toast was done Matt placed it on a giant plate and then put it in the middle of the long table. In Mello's place he put a special order. Mello liked chocolate mixed into his. And Matt wasn't allowed to give Mello's chocolate to anyone else so he had to make a whole other batch for just Mello.

As soon as Matt and the others sat down to eat Mello walked into the room decked out in leather also and carrying a box that clanked with metal when he moved. Setting it down on the table Mello cleared his throat to get the gang members attention. "I refuse to let you go out of this place unarmed. These are only handguns but you can ask for something else if you prefer. I will not however give out any other type of gun than these. Take your pick before you leave tonight." With that he sat down and began eating. Everyone resumed eating but Matt reached into the box awhile and pulled out three Glocks and placed them in his holsters before he started on his french toast.

----

When Taku, Mello, Matt, Sasha, the Duce, Fives, Threes and Eight left that night it was silent, But no one was afraid. Armed and ready they began their work of checking as many possible hideouts as humanly possible before daylight.

When the men and Sasha returned at sunrise they had eliminated five possible hideouts and found reasonably suspicion that Light wasn't in the area but in some mansion in the next city over.

Matt went straight to his room and collapsed onto his bed, instantly falling into a fitful sleep with dreams about evil notebooks and giant shinigami coming to get him. The last dream being the same one that woke him from his sleep the night before. But this time when he sat up in bed drenched in sweat he didn't go on an emotional rampage but changed his bandages and went on with the new day with the hope that they would finally find where Light was hiding Ehkei.


	11. A Virus Known As Rage

**Disclaimer: **_I Do Not Own Death Note.  
_**Claimer: **_I Own The Untouchable Royals, Ehkei, and June._

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the over extended wait. It's been hectic in my life. I just moved and starting at this school has been rough. And I haven't had time to continue writing. I'm also still gettign bored of this story and I have a slight case of writer's block. This ones not as long as the other ones. Sorry, again. The title of this chapter comes from the inspiration song for this story, "The World As We Know It" by Scary Kids Scaring Kids. Please enjoy. Oh, and some reviews would be ice to help motivate me to get out chapter twelve!

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**Chapter Eleven: A Virus Known As Rage**

Taku was restless. He hadn't been sleeping properly and his crew was getting tired and running out of hope. The Aces wanted the recruits back so they could get back on with what they had been doing before Ehkei had gone missing. And they didn't like waiting.

Taku rubbed his head as and mentally cursed the world. It had almost been a whole fortnight since Light had stolen his sister from right under his nose. They still had no leads. They had searched every warehouse in a fifty mile radius and had still come up empty handed. Not a single teeny, tiny bit of evidence to help them locate him.

Near had brought in a whole S.W.A.T. team to help them take over the warehouses in use and had given Taku's group, Matt and Mello uniforms so that they'd blend in with them and no questions would be asked by the police. Taku always felt odd in the uniform and antsy whenever he had to work side by side with the team and he knew everyone else felt the same way.

Except for Spencer. He always had a smile on his face now. He loved the action but, like Taku he wanted it to be over with soon. He missed his cozy life with the Untouchable's and being able to joke around without getting half assed laughs and smiles in return.

Matt had kept his word as best he could, but the odds were against him. Taku could see the stress was wearing him down and even though his hands had healed from his attack on the wall, he knew the man still felt the pain of it. He often rubbed his knuckles and Taku could see the hate for Yagami escaping from the man's every pore.

Taku had learned to trust Matt, Mello and their little detective friend even though the investigation was still coming up blank. He often doubted the "genius'" knowledge, and he sometimes felt as if he'd be better off with a bunch of chiwawas. But he guessed that sooner or later the kid would prove himself. He often had very intelligent ideas but they were all based off of hunches, that seemed to be wrong, most of the time.

They had come across a place where Light had stayed once, with his little posse but that was a few years prior to the find. The was nothing left to be found and he had left a cold trail behind him.

Finding Light Yagami was turning out to be the biggest pain in the ass he'd ever had and Taku wasn't used to being outsmarted. It was the whole reason he was a Joker, because he was the trump card. He was supposed to be the one who was one step ahead, but he found himself not one step but at least three steps behind. And that unnerved him more than Mello's direct glare.

But not more than how much he had entrusted his faith and trust in a seventeen year old kid who looked like he was fourteen and who worked for the F.B.I.

Very unsettling.

Taku rethought everything they'd done so far and how it effected his friends. They were all tired and seemed to walk around like zombies lately. Going through the motions, no one really thought it was going well. No one seemed to have anymore faith. Or hope.

They needed something to cheer them up. Something to renew their faith and give them the enthusiasm to find his sister.

They needed another trump card, because the one they had now was getting rusty.

----

Near stared at the screen before him not really paying attention to the information on it. There was a nagging feeling at the base of his neck stemmed from the stress of finding Riliyan Leeryick not only for an old friend but also for her desperate brother.

It wouldn't surprise Near if Taku and Matt both fell over dead from just the stress alone. The two of them really needed to take a break. But that wasn't possible when the girl was still missing.

Near twisted a few strands of his white blonde hair- of which apparently resembled Riliyan's very much - and thought of all the places they'd been to already. All the places they hadn't and all they places that were off the list but hadn't been investigated.

A snore ripped Near from his thoughts and he realized that Aizawa had fallen asleep sitting up. Near didn't bother to disturb him. Everyone here needed more sleep. It seemed as if everyone had become unaccustomed to the part of life where the brain shuts down and your body rests.

Near returned to the screen and paused the scrolling text. What if they were looking for the wrong things? It was impossible for him to have left the country, Near had made sure all of the airlines In the country knew his face and name so that he couldn't take a flight out.

Light Yagami wasn't the type to stay in a warehouse, or anywhere near the mafia for that matter. He was more of a luxury kind of person. There was a cluster of mansions just outside the city limits that they had given a wide berth in their frivolous searches and seizers. It was the perfect place to hide.

Near jumped from his chair and quickly made his way for the door, spinning Aizawa's chair, to wake him, on the way there. "Get up! I think I have something." then he left the room.

He went straight for Mello's room and didn't bother knocking on his way in. Mello was asleep on the bed. Probably one of the only ones who could get a good nights sleep lately. "Mello." He spoke normally knowing Mello was a light sleeper and would wake on just his name alone.

He rolled over quickly brandishing a gun from under his pillow. When he saw it was just Near he lowered it slightly. He seemed to wear nothing but Near couldn't see his whole body. "What do you want? It's fucking two in the afternoon!" His voice was icy, but Near wasn't scared of the kid, after all they had grown up together.

"I think I have a new lead. I don't know why it didn't occur to me earlier." He paused for emphasis and Mello lowered the gun a little more.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"I have reason to believe that we've been rather blind. Yagami wouldn't be in a warehouse. He likes luxury and power. A warehouse cannot give him that. No, I believe he is in one of the mansions on River Run Dr." He stared at Mello, waiting for a reaction.

Mello looked down in thought. The gun lowered to his lap and he ran his free hand through his blonde tresses. "You've got a point. We'll scout them out tonight. I'll brief the gang at breakfast." When Mello finished he had a scowl on his face, due to the fact that he hadn't thought of the idea sooner.

----

Matt paced the parlor with a cigarette between his lips as he had been since he had woken in the middle of the day. His habit had kicked up about three notches since she had been taken. And like Taku, he hardly slept at all. He had gotten only four hours this day and only fine the day before. The hours usually fluxuated from three to five since they had found nothing on the first night of scouting.

He hardly ate and he talked to no one except Taku, Mello and Near. Even then his sentences were short. He cooked for everyone else and helped Mello designate where each party would be going that night but other than that he felt totally helpless.

He sulked often and spent most of his time locked up in his room. If not there he could be found in the Range room, shooting at dummies that looked a surprising lot like a certain kidnapper everyone knew.

His body ached and begged for him to rest but he refused. Whenever his nightmares woke him he got up and showered, then returned to his room to pace more, smoke a whole pack of cigs in two hours, and try to think of what they were missing.

For what else could be the problem? Why hadn't they found Ehkei yet if they weren't missing some bit of information. Matt often felt as if the puzzle piece was dangling right in from of his nose and he couldn't get his paws on it.

It angered him to no end.

Anger. Hatred. Fear. Longing.

That was all he was made up of lately. He felt no other emotions. None.

His anger swelled inside of him and he wanted blood more than ever before in his life. He wanted to feel it in his hands, he wanted to taste it on his lips. He wanted to see it spray from Light's body like a waterfall.

Matt found himself massaging his knuckles none too gently and quickly placed his hands by his sides. What would Ehkei think when she found out what he'd become? Would she still want to be with him? All he knew was that if he was in her position he'd make a run for the hills.

Matt sighed and sat down on a couch resting his head on the back and staring at the chandelier on the ceiling. He took a long drag from his tobacco and blew out the smoke in an exaderated sigh. He was so tired he couldn't even think at the moment. He didn't notice the albino sit next to him until he tapped him on the shoulder. Matt jumped. "Jesus Christ! You trying to kill a man?" He practically yelled.

Near only looked at him calmly. "I have an idea as to where to look for her tonight." He paused and Matt waned to strangle him for not continuing immediately. But he refrained as Near had opened his mouth again. Matt was now on the edge of his seat, facing the young man. "We've made a wide berth of the mansions of River Run Dr. You know of the place?" When Matt nodded he continued on, "I believe that Light is taking refuge in one of them. He isn't the type to stay in a warehouse. He likes luxury and the feeling of power. I believe we will have a better chance at looking into expensive facilities than run down warehouses. . . Wouldn't you agree, Matthew?"

Matt had been on his feet for the last few sentences and was now pacing, thinking hard. Near had a point. It all made sense. But was it safe to hope again? Would this turn up and results? Matt wasn't sure. It was a stab in the dark. There were a lot of expensive estates on River Run and there just didn't seem to be enough time. It felt like it had run out a long time ago.

Matt dared not hope. He shut off his emotions and became like a robot. "How many will we investigate tonight?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'm thinking about sending in someone to set up cameras somewhere where we can see a majorly used room. A living room or something of the like. There won't be much work tonight. I'd advise you to stay here and get more rest for when we do find her. I've got a feeling it will be soon. Very soon. You can go on my hunches this time, Matthew. Trust me, you can still trust me."

Matt stopped pacing and as Near stood he patted Matt on the back. "Ill give the team a briefing before they leave, at breakfast."

As Near started to walk away Matt called him back. "You know I can't stay here, Nate. You know I can't. I love Ehkei more than anything and I promised Taku I'd get her back. He's trying too, and you know he'd never be able to live with himself if one of his men was hurt on his watch while he was sleeping here an they were out doing the dirty work. They're my men now too, Nate. I can't stay here doing nothing. Not when so much is at stake."

Near stared at him for a moment. Surprised to hear his real name and stunned that Matt would use it so openly, when anyone could have heard. So he did trust people still. Near studied Matt very carefully before he answered. "You may have a point, but please get more sleep tomorrow, tonight even. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you or even. . Mello-" He seemed to struggle on the name, "-got hurt on my watch. Watch your back, Matthew. Don't do anything rash. Treat this like any other scouting trip. But be more cautious. These rich folk are far from ordinary." With that he turned and walked down the hall to his room.

Matt couldn't hold back the tears any longer. He sank to his knees and allowed the salty substance to fall from his eyes and slip down his cheeks. He couldn't count how much he'd cried in the past month but he knew it was more than he'd ever cried in his life. Oh, how his heart ached. As if it were about to reach it's limit. Clutching his chest and face in his hands he sobbed as quietly as he could. But when Sasha came from around the corner wondering as to the noise he began to cry harder, unable to make legible words.

She rushed to him and held him in her arms, gently rocking him back and forth. She hushed him and told hi that it would be alright but it only made his heart ache more. For he knew it was only half hearted. She had no more hope than he himself did. When she started to cry with him he let himself relax in her arms. Imagining they were a different set of limbs.

Imagining them much slimmer, and paler. The owner would have white blonde hair that went to her shoulders and not deep brown and cropped short. She would be small in stature and have the most soothing voice, like an angel were whispering in his ear. And her eyes would be a beautiful sea green. Like the calm before the storm, blue outlining the irises. Her hand caressing him gently to stop his shakes.

And when she kissed his tears, his lips, he would feel no more Pain, and no more Sorrow. No more Anger, no more Fear. Only Love and Relief.

Peace.

But when he came out of his own mind he found that it was still Sasha caressing his hair, and he wanted nothing more to be out of this nightmare.

----

Ehkei lay in her bed hearing an annoying hum in the back of her head. It had been so long since she had seen anyone except Light Yagami. She had begun to forget other people. Other places. The only places she knew were her white room and the hall connecting to the parlor. Where Light met her once a day to write down more names.

She had become so numb to everything that she had already forgotten what it was like to feel the warmth of sunlight on her skin and the wind in her hair. Light had deprived her of lollipops long ago and it had made her drowsy and light headed since from the lack of sugar to her system.

Ryuk wasn't with her as often anymore. He tended to spend a lot of time with Light lately. He reminded her when ever she chastised him that he was on neither her nor his side. He was only in it for the lols. The Shinigami was making her feel as if everyone had left her.

Why hadn't Taku found her yet?

And Matt?

Were they even trying?

Did they care?

She had come to the conclusion that she had moved too fast with Matt. What could she have been thinking? She couldn't remember. Oh, but when she thought of him she remembered his beautiful green eyes. His cigarette stained teeth. His sexy motorcycle jacket, and the way he held himself with a confidence she was beginning to forget what looked like.

She rolled over and stared at more white. That was all she saw and her eyes burned. She wished desperately to see other colors. When she was in this room. The parlor was browns and reds, but she wanted, greens and blues. She wanted yellow and pink, purple, and black.

Oh, black.

She closed her eyes and rolled into a ball. Snuggling her head between her knees she tried to breath evenly. Behind her lids she saw a beautiful scene.

The orange and yellow sun beat down burning rays of glistening light and Ehkei was standing by a magnificent tree whose branches hung low and sweeping. In full bloom, it's Purple and red blossoms fell to the ground with the light breeze. It's giant deep green leaves shook slightly but held their places on it's think branches, the lowest of which came down to her shoulder. Lying atop it was her best friend. With rich black hair, June was wearing simple jeans and a black tank top, her pink bra straps clearly visible, her feet were bare. She was smiling down at Ehkei with a cigarette between her fingers and another one waiting to be smoked tucked behind her ear.

To her left, sitting on a root that could have been made for a human's butt, was Taku, the sun making his bald head shine, the scar on his neck faded to just a jagged pink line. He wore a simple navy blue wife beater and camo cargo shorts. His flip flops were lying carelessly beside his feet. He was watching her with his beautiful sea green eyes that just made her heart melt.

Behind her, she felt warm arms wrap around her waist. She slowly turned around to come face to face with a pair of green eyes. Matt's mouth broke into a wide smile showing off his yellowish white teeth. His breath smelled like mints and Marlboro. His black and white stripped shirt lightly hugged his lean frame and his odd jeans disappeared into old black boots. His hands were bare when they brushed hair from her face. The sunlight fell through the gaps in the leaves and danced off the goggles on his head and his red-brown hair. She leaned her head against his chest and sighed.

When she turned back to her brother and friend a smile shown on her lips.

But the image died away when Matsuda stepped through her door and nodded his head at her with a sad smile. It was time to go meet Light again. She didn't blame Matsuda for anything. He was only doing his job. He was such a nice young man. And she often found herself wondering what would happen to him in the end.

When Taku and Matt came to liberate this wretched place.

----

Taku stood by the door, he had a full stomach and had taken stress pills to relieve the tension in his shoulders. Near had just briefed everyone on the new plan and Taku had renewed hope. He knew it was foolish, but he was only human. And his heart longed to see his Angel's face again.

His sister. His whole reason for going on.

When Matt walked up to him and clasped hands with Taku for a second he saw a spark in his eye. Taku gave him a slight smile. The same spark of hope was in his own eye. And when they, and the rest of tonight's scouting crew, left were both bouncing to get on the way.

It felt like Ehkei was at the tips of their fingers. Just waiting there. And when they came hone that night still empty handed, it didn't feel like a failure. Matt was tired, it was hard to get around the security systems so they only hit a few homes. But they had breathed the breath of Hope and it had dug it's self a deep wedge in their hearts this time.


	12. Time Is Becoming More Precious Than Gold

**Disclaimer:** _I DO No Own Death Note  
_**Claimer: **_I Do Own, The Untouchable Royals, Taku, Ehkei, and June._

**Author's Note: **Sorry this took ridiculously long to get out. But I've just been way too lazy sad to say but it's true. The title of this on is also from the song that gave title to this story. I hope you guys enjoy it. The lyrics that are used near the end are from Dead Poetic's song "In Coma." If you don't review I wont update. I swear it!

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Chapter Twelve: Time Is Becoming More Precious Then Gold

Ehkei sat across from Light in the parlor. Staring dully at the mahogany table between them. More pictures were spread out before her and her eyes hurt. Her vision went blurry for a moment and she blinked a few times to clear it.

Light sat calmly in his cushioned armchair with one leg crossed over the other and that damned notebook in his lap. Flipped open to a nearly filled page of names--and the way the people whom the names belonged to had died. He wore a satisfied grin on his face and his eyes had an eerie light in them that would have ordinarily frightened her.

But this wasn't ordinary. Light wasn't ordinary, she wasn't ordinary, and neither were the notebook in his lap or the shinigami standing beside her, laughing.

She had gotten used to it all. But she wasn't sleeping well; though she slept all day. The bags under her unique eyes were proof enough.

But that didn't excuse what Light was putting her through.

The photograph in front of her blurred again. She blinked it back. The name above the person was still blurry but nothing else about him. So she blinked and rubbed her eyes again. She felt lightheaded when her vision went completely blurry again.

She glanced at Light, his smile was diminishing. His face was getting blurrier and her peripheral vision was going black. It moved in and her head began to feel heavy. She could feel her hands begin to shake and the name before her became crystal clear before the darkness over took it.

Her body fell limply off the chair and onto the floor roughly. The name still in her mind as she drifted. Distantly she heard Light yell for Matsuda, and Ryuk laughing hard enough to shake the dead. But it was as if she were underwater. It turned into a dream.

All she could concentrate on was the name above the man. And hope Light didn't figure out his true name before it was too late.

Jackson Leeryck.

*--*--*

Taku and Matt walked cautiously around bushes, trees and trashcans on River Run on the second night. Both brimming with anticipation. They had both gotten more sleep than usual but were awaken by a pressing need to get moving as soon as possible. So they had set out before everyone else at sunset.

They had skirted past the mansions they had checked out the night before and headed for the ones left. There were only about three. But they would most likely only be able to get through one and if they were lucky most of the other, but that was unlikely.

Near had made most of Taku's men stay behind and rest up more. Said something about having a hunch that they'd need their energy for something tomorrow night. If things went as he thought they would.

Taku didn't question him. It was odd, yes, but he was too busy hoping to even bother adding extra thought to it. He just knew this was it. Something was up and it would be good for them. Not Light.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a black blob race next to him a few yards away. He turned his head to see that it was Spencer. He gave him the thumbs up and ran again to a trashcan at the end of the next target.

Taku crossed the street cautiously and gave Spencer a nod. They both walked the perimeter of the mansion and it's gate, with Matt in the trees searching out cameras and trip wires. They communicated through walkies, head sets to keep some conversations private.

"Taku." Matt said into his head set.

Taku turned on his speaker to reply. "What is it?"

"You do realize that even if we do find Light in one of these places tonight we won't be able to make a move now. We'll need a fresh start and everyone will have to be here. He's going to be armed not only with the Death Note but guns and other various firearms." He told him quietly.

Taku knew this. He'd known this since he'd woken up. Sighing he replied, "Yes. I know. But you feel like I do. You would bust in there at any second if you knew she was in there. No second thoughts."

He didn't get a reply so he turned off his microphone and moved on through the outside bushes.

"Spencer, I've got a job for you. Matt, I'll need your help too." He said into the walkie and waited for a response.

"Roger. What's brewing in that bald head of yours?" Spencer asked.

"Matt I need you to search out cameras in Spence's area and near the little guard tower just beyond the gate. Spence. Once the coast is clear and you know where to go I need you to knock out the guard and turn off any possible leads from the cameras to the inside of the house. Then open the gate for me and the rest of the guys when they get here. Got it?"

"Without a doubt." Spencer said. Taku could practically see him saluting the air.

"Roger." came Matt's reply.

Taku waited behind a hedge near the front gate for it to open. He closed his eyes and crouched. Ready to take off at a moments notice, hand on the gun at his hip and the knife at his back.

He took the time to calm his nerves. Let his heart slow to normal and his jitters and butterflies evaporate inside of him. He closed his eyes and focused on the sound of the light breeze. Listened to the crickets chirp around him, uncaring about what could happen on this night.

Taku breathed in the serenity of the calm night. There was no wind, the air was still. As if anticipating the moment when the gates would open and stir it. Allowing Taku entrance to the mansion looming before him.

When the gates finally did more out towards him Taku stood and boldly walked forward through the stark darkness. He stopped by the security building window. "Cut the outside power. And the alarm systems." He curtly told Spencer who was relaxing inside the booth. When he received a nod he moved forward. A few steps up the lawn he caught sight of a movement to his left a few seconds before Matt walked out to walk beside him. Taku dipped his head in Matt's direction without missing a step to show him acknowledgement.

Matt didn't say a word as the stalked closer to the building. He and Taku pulled out instruments that would help them to scale the three story building and check windows. He pulled a mask down over his face making him look like a ninja as Taku did the same. When they reached the front door. Taku nodded his head to the left and used sign language to tell him which way to go and how much room to cover. The other's would be able to cover the left over ground when they arrived. Which should be in a few minutes.

As he crawled away from Taku his walkie crackled and he heard Near's voice over the receiver. "The troops should be getting to you in just a few minutes. I'd say three tops. I hope you have everything taken care of. I want you in and out."

"Roger. I'll be sure to be done within two hours." Taku's voice came over the receiver.

"Are you sure we can do a thorough job in that short a time, Taku?" Matt asked.

Spencer piped into the conversation next. "Of course we can, Matt! Whatever you say, boss, we can do it. There's nothing I wouldn't do tonight. I feel great."

Matt scoffed over the receiver quietly "Good for you. But I'd rather make sure we didn't miss anything that could lead us to Ehkei."

Taku agreed.

"Just get the job done as fast as you can." Near said. And Matt knew that was it from him.

"Any more order's Taku?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah, I need you to monitor the cameras and watch our backs for any possible trouble. I know this place is bound to be crawling with guards inside. Once the others get here have Sasha and Jason help you out in there. I can't have anything slipping by you. Matt just do your thing on the west side of the building. I'll be sending Xavier in with you."

"Roger" Matt said then turned the walkie down a bit and clipped it to the back of his belt.

He pulled out a pair of night vision goggles and replaced them with his old ones. He looked through the window above him and saw nothing but furniture. It appeared to be some kind of sitting room. No television but by the couch, chairs, and mini bar placed around the room it was easy to tell. He moved down to the next on to find it showed the same room. When Xavier snuck in next to him and asked for orders he told him to check out the bottom floor while he scaled to the top and checked in those. Once they'd checked all of those rooms they would pick an empty one and look to see if there were any rooms on the inside of the west wing that didn't have windows and check those also.

Xavier nodded and pulled out his own pair of night vision goggles. He moved away from Matt to begin his search. When he quickly ducked Matt followed suit and hid behind a bush. A security guard poked his head out the now open window and looked back and forth. His eyes narrowed he retreated once he'd found nothing.

Matt let out the breath he hadn't realize he'd been holding. Sighing quietly he watched as Xavier moved to the next window over; carefully avoiding the one in which he'd been narrowly spotted. Matt followed his lead and pulled out a bunch of giant suction cups and attached them to his hands and feet. Shooting a grapelhook to the roof he tied the remaining rope around both thighs and his waist. Making sure it was good and tight he began to climb. Once he reached the top he precariously made his way from window to window. Making sure not to make any sudden movements, and being absolutely sure he stayed away from the rooms with guards mingling inside of them. None of the rooms held any importance to him. There were all either bedrooms with men's clothing strewn about of studies of some sort. He ran across one small library and had almost been seen by someone who looked extremely familiar. But no matter how hard he thought about it could he sooner figure out why the face had triggered a sense of déjà vu. Once he'd cleared all of the rooms he climbed onto the roof and rested there before he checked in with his partner over his headset.

"Any luck?"

"Nope. Nothing. Just a bunch of studies and lounging rooms it looks like to me."

Matt growled in frustration. Maybe someone else had had some kind of luck. He could only hope. He untied his rope and through it back down the side of the house. Allowing Xavier to tie himself on and climb up to join him there for a bit of a breather while they checked in with everyone else.

----

Taku heard Xavier's voice come over his walkie quietly and he pulled it from his belt to listen to what he had to say.

"Taku, what have you got so far?"

"Zilch. You?"

"Nah, same. But we haven't gotten in yet."

"Same." He replied sighing. "Marko, how about your end?"

The receiver crackled as his deep voice came through it. "Same. This place is so boring, but it's crawling with security inside. Why not outside too? It makes no sense."

Taku had come to the same conclusion. And had no answer for it.

"My guess is they're not worried about their plants as much as they are what's inside." Sasha came through.

Taku frowned. "Anythin' interesting on the inside cameras?"

"Nah, But there are these two rooms that have no cameras on their insides but the doorways are guarded by two security guards each.

"Kind of fishy if you ask me, Taku" Dai said.

His frown deepened more. Could it be? One for Light and another for Ehkei? Should he dare hope? His butterflies came back as he rested his head on the chimney behind him that issued a steady stream of gray smoke and ash.

"Where are these rooms located?" He asked gingerly.

"There's one in the east wing and another in the west." Spencer replied through static.

Taku was on the East side. And Matt was on the West. Taku knew what Matt had to be feeling. The same as he. Blind hope.

"Roger. Matt, check it out on your end. I'll take mine. Everyone else be wary. This may be it. Be ready. If something happens to either Matt, Xavier, Melisa or I make a run for it. We'll need you guys to come back and exact your revenge after careful planning. Copy?" there was a chorus of "roger's" that followed. "Okay, Spence, Sasha, Jason, this is all on you. Don't fail me now."

"How could you even think I'd do a bad job for one second, Taku?" Spencer's voice sounded hurt. And Taku knew it was only to lift the newfound tension that spread through the air like a dangerous toxic gas. Everyone on tonight's team was bound to feel the anxiety of it.

"Sorry, Spence."

"You're forgiven. Now, I'll feed you with what you'll need to do and Sasha will tell You, Matt. Jason has agreed to me a medium and check both of us. We'll communicate through headsets. Alright boys it's show time."

----

Light sat by the fire gazing absently into it. Ehkei was in her room with a doctor standing near by. She had passed out once he'd presented her with the picture of her brother two days before and had yet to awaken.

Ryuk, that damn Shinigami had stayed in her room with her the entire time. For some unknown reason that made him uncomfortable.

Ehkei's vitals were normal and constant. And at first he had though she had just passed out from a lack of sleep. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. But she stayed unconscious; so after a few hours he called in a doctor.

It was then that he'd learned she was in a coma. There was no telling when she'd come out of it and the doctor was baffled as to how it came on. There were no signs of trauma to her head and she hadn't been in any sort of accident. Other than a few stomach ulcers that he concluded must have been from stress her body was in perfect condition.

Light put his head between his hands and sighed heavily. A lyric that he'd heard from a song once rang through his head, taunting him.

_"Stay in coma. It's the only defense we have left."_

He knew her body had shielded itself from him in the most final way possible. Her torment over what had happened had forced her body to react. And this was the product of it.

Now he had no one to read the names to him. And no one to take the fall. She was useless now. But incase she came out of her ridiculous "fail-safe" soon he didn't allow the doctor to take her to an intensive care unit. He had him create one in her room to work from. The medical bills were incredible.

He suddenly felt a pair of thin pale arms slip over his shoulders to rest in front of him and a chin rest on his shoulders. When Misa spoke the headache he had pounded even harder. "You know, you could have allowed me to make the deal and we wouldn't have had to bring her along for the ride In the first place."

He sighed. "Misa, stop."

"I could make the deal now, and we could dispose of her accordingly. Please Light. I want to help."

Letting his head fall from his hands to hang by her hands he tried to get passed the pain throbbing in his head. She had a point, but he didn't really want to get rid of her. Truth was, he liked her twenty times better than he liked Misa. In fact he barley tolerated Misa. She was beesting in his eye. But it was a necessary sting. In case something like this happened and Ehkei was "out-of-commission."

"All right, Misa. I'll allow you to make the deal. But not tonight. I merely want to go to bed." He stood up and moved from her grasp. When she frowned he gave her a small grin and moved past her and into the hall. As he made his way to his room a few doors down he heard a noise that didn't sound like it belonged. It sounded like a thud a two doors down from him now. As if something large had his a carpeted floor. Pulling out a gun from his waistband he made his way to the bathroom where the sound had resonated from.

Pulling up to check for any more sound he hesitated a full three seconds before busting down the door and pointing the gun in front of him. He inspected the room to find nothing out of place.

Frowning he lowered the gun down and made his way to the door. It was then he felt the breeze from outside on his back and he turned. Pulling the gun back up he slowly preceded to the window on the far wall.

When he got to the window he checked behind the floor length thick black curtains for anyone hiding there, before he put the gun out the window and checked for a person on either side or under the sill. Then he check above him. When he saw nothing he pulled the gun back and walked out of the bathroom rubbing his aching head.

He was going crazy. Stupid stress.

----

Taku breathed deeply as he lay on his back on the roof of the West wing. Just above a bathroom that had almost gotten him caught. But it didn't matter now. He had found what he'd needed. Light was indeed here.

Sitting up Taku rolled the security guard over to check his vitals. He was alive but he'd wake with a massive headache in the morning. Taku scaled the wall down to place the guard back in the bathroom carefully. He placed him near the toilet where he had been when Taku had knocked him over the head. Before he returned to the window and left as quickly and quietly as he could. Closing the window behind him scaled the wall to the ground where he met up with Melisa.

"That was way too close." Pulling out his walkie addressed the rest of the team. "Pack up quietly. We've found our target. I've spotted Light. We'll attack tomorrow night." He heard a chorus of low cheers as his men rejoice.

Taku felt sick as he walked away from the mansion he knew held his sister prisoner. Regret filled his heart as he left her there one more day.

But finally, the End was in sight.

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**Author's Note:** _Dont' forget to review!_ Go ahed push the button there and say something. I don't care what it is. Good, bad, or just plain ugly. Go for it.

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	13. Now They're Choosing Sides

**Disclaimer:** _I Do Not Own Death Note.  
_**Claimer: **_I Do Own June, Ehkei, Taku, and the rest of the Untouchable Royals._

**Author's Note: **Finally! A new chapter is born from my subconscious! I've been waiting for this for some time now. I was really bored with this since I already knew what was going to happen and because this story would never have a chance to be published I kinda figured it was useless. But then I had to tell a friend of mine how it ended and while I was typing up a summary for this chapter I was struck with the desire to write it in detail. So I did. And here it is. There will be one more chapter after this one but it won't be very long. Just a little epilogue. The title comes from the usual song, "The World As We Know It" by Scary Kids Scaring Kids. I love that song. :) Any who. Enjoy. And I'm deeply sorry for that ridiculously long wait.

Please Comment.

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**Chapter Thirteen: Now They're Choosing Sides**

Matt paced his room anxiously. Taku sat on his bed with his chin in his palm and his elbow resting on his knee. He watched as Matt walked from wall to wall. Wringing his hands together.

"Okay, Matt, you really need to relax. Getting all worked up and wasting your energy worrying about what's going to happen won't help you, or anyone else for that matter, in the long run. So sit your ass down and just take a chill pill, will ya?"

Matt gave him an annoyed look . "Why aren't you jumping up and down from anticipation with me? She's almost home, Taku!" He flung his arms out to his sides in exasperation.

Taku sighed. "I've learned to control those emotions around people. Can't afford to look vulnerable, you know?" His voice cracked ever so slightly at the end and Matt's eyes softened.

Sitting on the bed beside him, Matt was unsure of what to say. So he put his hand on Taku's shoulder and squeezed lightly. Then allowed his hand to drop. "We'll get her back. Tonight. I promise."

Taku looked up at him with hooded eyes and nodded.

*-*-*

Matsuda walked the halls on his way back to Ehkei's room. He felt bad for the poor girl. He held a soft spot for her for some reason he couldn't explain. She had been decently nice to him on the occasions they had spoken.

Her predicament wasn't desirable and he understood her woe. He just wanted to get her out of there. But Light needed her. And he couldn't imagine himself betraying Light.

Entering her makeshift medical room Matsuda sat in a chair in the corner. Her monitors beeped noisily in the background. She looked so peaceful in her sleep. Matsuda could almost feel his heart breaking for her.

*-*-*

She was back at the magnificent tree. But this time she was alone. Waiting. It seemed as if she'd been there forever. Just waiting. She couldn't quite remember what she was waiting for, but she knew it was something good.

If only she could remember. . .

The breeze caressed her skin. The sun was warm and comforting. The leaves of the oak shaded her gently and kept her cool in the slight humidity.

The sky was ever changing through the gaps in the leaves and branches of the trees. Every time it looked like rain, she could feel a bad presence like something evil was watching her. But whenever she was sure it was just about to rain, the clouds cleared and the sun shown again. There had been a rainbow at one point. But it had gone as quickly as it had come.

Waiting.

She felt like she could wait forever. Whatever she was waiting for.

And so she would.

*-*-*

June sat on her bed. Her head in her hands. Her cell phone was on the sheets beside her. They had finally found her. Finally. Ehkei would be coming home. She couldn't wait to wrap her arms around that girls skinny hide and hug her until she couldn't breath from the tightness of it.

Lighting a cigarette, she dragged on it hard. She'd become such a chain smoker in the past month that she was sure she'd developed lung cancer in both of her lungs already.

But that didn't matter. Grabbing her keys she headed for the door. She was going to buy so many lollipops that Ehkei would never be able to eat them all in her entire lifetime.

*-*-*

Near sat on the floor with an array of toys spread out before him. Waiting patiently in front of him were Taku, Matt, and not so patiently, Mello.

Set up before him was what appeared to be some soft of a dollhouse with the roof cut off and a random array for figures set up at various point in the house ranging from ken dolls, to Iron Man robots.

"Mello and company will infiltrate first. Surprise them and distract them. Get as many guards out of Ehkei's wing as possible. Via explosives." He indicated a group of swat dolls outside the house. "Matt and company will come in from the basement. Be on guard, Light won't send all of his men in knowing what we're after. And make their way to Ehkei's wing." He pointed to a group of random dolls at the back door. "Taku and company will come in the windows of Ehkei's wing." He picked up a G.I. Joe ken doll and made him climb the wall. Inside on a bed was a Blond Barbie in an evening gown. "We have no way of knowing where Light will be when we attack. Keep helmets on. Do not remove them under any circumstance. Shoot to wound not kill. I don't want a massacre on my hands. The government would have a field day. I give you free rein on how you distribute your squads."

The men nodded before they left, a foreboding feeling hanging over their heads. Any one of them could die tonight.

*-*-*

Matt crouched in his position, waiting for the signal. The men and women behind him were as silent as the grave. Matt prayed silently to whatever God would listen that the mission would go as planned and they would retrieve Ehkei in good health.

Just then an explosion sounded around the front of the mansion. Everything went silent for a moment before chaos broke out inside the house. Heavy footsteps sounded like thunder in the night. Matt knew it was time to move. Opening the cellar doors he lead his squad into the basement and tiptoed their way up the stairs to the door. When it was quite in the hall behind the closed door, Matt opened it quickly and stepped out gun first. The long white hall was empty. Brow furrowed, he brought his team into the hall. Nodding his covered head in the direction of the desired wing he ran off down it. The light pitter-pat of his troops behind him. When he rounded a corner to find the next hall crawling with armed guards he jumped to the ground and shot at the chest of the closest one at the same time. Finishing the job, each of his men in turn copied him and they continued on.

Down the hall, around two more corners up a two flights of stairs, and three more corners the small squad came to a fork in the hall. Matt grimaced, as sounds of combat rang out in the air around him his mind worked furiously. Which way to go? Making a snap decision he turns to his men.

"We're splitting up. Half of you come with me and half of you go the other way. Continue with the plan as it would usually be without me. Got it?" They nodded and just as another bomb shook the building. Matt raced off down the left hallway not really caring if anyone actually followed him. He opened every door in the hall, pointed his gun inside and did a quick search. Even if there were men inside he ran on without bothering with them. He left that to the others. The gunshots he left in his wake were nothing but background noise.

All he could hear was the sweet melodic way Ehkei laughed. His blood pulsed past his ears so loudly that he could hardly hear anything other, and his vision went red with his rage.

He turned a corner randomly only to find that he faced a single door. He halted in his tracks and held his breath. Leaping toward the door he yanks it open and points his gun inside before he enters. The Light are off but he can hear an odd beeping noise that seemed to be off beat. Raking the room with a quick glance he felt he wall for the switch. When he found it and the lights turned on He fell to his knees.

Ehkei lay on the bed hooked up to monitors with an I.V. in her arm. Her skin pale, he hair greasy, she looked sadly dreamlike. Matt shut the door and ran to her side. Putting his gun away he touched her face with his gloved hand.

"Ehkei. . . Wake up!" Matt shook her shoulders lightly. When he got no response besides the beeping of the heart rate monitor she was hooked up to he growled. "Ehkei! Can you even hear me? Ehkei!" Frustrated and worried as to what was wrong with her Matt removed his helmet and leaned down to press his lips to hears hoping to awake her.

She didn't stir. Growling again, with tears stinging his eyes he replaced his helmet and as gently as his could in his hurry, took out her I.V, needle and ripped off the sensor stickers and their wires from her chest. He was just about to lift her when the door swung open and he came face to face with a pistol.

*-*-*

Taku jumped though a window effortlessly. The bombs Mello had set off around the grounds were making the Earth quake around him quake. Spenser ran beside him as they made their way down the halls.

A guard ran around the corner with his gun raised. Taku leaped at him with his fist raised. When it connected with the mans face he fell to the ground. Taku landed another punch to his face before he left the man to Spenser and ran down the hall.

Blood covered the walls and splattered on the floor. The gun shots and explosions made the whole scene almost overbearing.

Taku's heart raced as he checked all the rooms in the halls. All empty. He ran down a flight of stairs and turned another corner before he ran into anyone else.

He felt the air move as a bullet wized past his head. Ducking he charged forward and tackled the guard. Grabbing his arm Taku tried to twist the weapon out of his hand when another guard came up behind him and kicked him off.

Pain shot up Taku's side when he landed hard on the wooden floor. Rolling away from the two just as a bullet pierced the floor at his legs, he jumped back onto his feet. Pulling a knife from his thigh he threw it at the first ones chest, then spun and kicked the gun from his grip before the other could react. Catching the gun in the air he instantly aimed for the remaining man and shot him in the thigh. He dropped like a pile of bricks. For good measure, Taku shot his other leg before taking his gun and tucking it into his jeans.

Hearing footsteps on the stairs he turned back to them in time to aim his new gun on Spenser. Whom upon seeing Taku held up his hands.

"Any luck yet?" His breathing raged he walk up to Taku.

"None. I'm going to check out this hall way before going down one more flight."

Nodding Spenser moved to the door next to them and opened it quickly. Sticking his gun in and checking it.

Taku moved on as well, taking the doors on the left as Spenser checked the ones on the right. When they reached the end of the hallway with no luck and no more guards, they turned back towards the stairwell.

Taku saw a blur of color then. Black and white, a stark contrast. It was Matt and some man he'd never seen running in the opposite direction. Matt was carrying a female body wearing all white.

Taku took off blindly after them.

'_Riliyan!'_

*-*-*

Ehkei sat on a tree limb. It was odd. She could hear voices. But they didn't have bodies, or an origin for that matter. They seemed to be coming from inside her head. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying but she knew the voices.

Whom did they belong to again?

Were they whom she was waiting for? It seemed that way.

Why did she feel so faint? Like she was about to fall asleep. But she had to remain awake. She had to know who the voices belonged too.

Her lips tingled and she had the feeling she sometimes got after spending too much time in the water. Like she was still floating in the waves many hours after she had left the beach.

Or was it, that she felt cramped up against something? Swaying back and forth, being jostled constantly. And yet, she was simply sitting here, on the oak tree's limb.

What was going on? The voices got louder and she could just make out her name being said. Her head felt heavy and she let it hang.

She could understand sentences now.

"This way! There's a secret door to the garden where you can escape with her!"

She blinked. Matsuda?

"How much farther? We can't be seen!"

Ehkei blinked. It couldn't be. Matt?

"Quiet Matt, do you want me to carry her for a bit?" That was definitely Mello's voice. Why..?

Suddenly the sea sickness she had begun to feel stopped. She almost fell over from the uneasiness the absence created in her.

"Where do you think you're running off to with Ehkei?" Light. His voice was clear and strong in her head.

"Get out of my way, Light before I rip that head right from that stupid little body of yours!" The venom in Matt's voice frightened her and she leaned against the tree's trunk for support.

Light laughed evilly, then stopped suddenly. "What are you doing here Matsuda?"

"Uh. . . I- I'm saving Ehkei! You can't keep doing this to her!" Ehkei's heart swelled with affection for the man who had tried to take care of her over the time of her capture.

Light laughed again. "Do you know who you're dealing with? I am God! I can kill you in an instant, Mail Jeevas and Matsuda Touta!"

Suddenly a loud bang rings out. Ehkei puts her hands to her ears as if that will stop the ringing going off inside of her head. Another loud shot after the other, and then again. But then the ringing is so loud that she falls from the tree and lands on the ground hard.

A few more shots before she hears grunts and moans of pain.

"Ehkei? Is she alright?"

Ehkei's eyes shot open at the sound of her brothers voice. But she was still at the tree. The sky had grown dark and was oppressive. It looked like rain.

"I'm alright!" She wanted to say but she knew he wouldn't hear her.

"Ehkei, Please wake up! Guhn. Ehkei, It's Taku. I'm here now, It's okay, you need to wake up now." His voice was thick and Ehkei wanted to reach out and hold his hand. To tell him everything would be okay. "Please. . . Riliyan."

Suddenly the sleepiness over took her and the dark clouds seemed to fall on top of her. Everything went black.

*-*-*

Matt and Taku lay on the floor of the Great Hall in Light's mansion. Both bleeding from the gun shot wounds Light had just given them.

Just before Light could write down Matsuda or Matt's names the Death Note was shot from his hands by Taku, who then jumped in front of the bullet Light had aimed at Ehkei. Pissed, he had sent one more bullet in her direction which Matt had taken in the Right shoulder. Matsuda and Mello had taken off after Light once he ran off. Leaving the three of them on the floor.

Taku hugged his sister close to his chest on the floor. Her body limp it laid there like a rag doll. Trying to push her off of him so that Matt could look at Taku's wound he is stopped.

Taku shakes his head at Matt and whispered in Ehkei's ear. Pleading with her to awaken. His mouth thick with the blood that was coming up from his stomach. It dripped from the side of his mouth.

When he said Ehkei's name she stirred slightly. Just a twitch of the hand at first, and then her head moved slightly. She moaned and moved to slid off of Taku's chest. She pulled herself into a sitting position. Blinking she looked down at him.

Tears filled her eyes as she looked upon is injuries. "It was real? Light shot you?" Her voice cracked. Taku reached a hand up to touch her face just as he hacked up a mouthful of scarlet blood onto the floor next to Ehkei.

"Taku!" She grabbed his hand and held it tightly. Looking over at Matt, she pleaded with him. "Help him! Matt, help him!"

"I-I can't. It's too late." Matt looked away from her pained face. He heard her sobs as she looked down on Taku.

He gave her a small smile. "It's okay." He coughed once more. "Don't . . . worry about me." He brought his other hand to her face and caressed it gently. "Riliyan, I lo-" He grimaced in pain from the gun shot wound. "I love you."

The tears streaming down Ehkei's face flowed like a river, and when Taku shuttered out his last breath, his hand falling from her face and limp in her hers, she dropped onto his chest and sobbed harder than ever.

Matt reached over and put his hand on her back. "Ehkei we have to go. Before Light gets back."

She shrugged him off. "W-we c-can't just l-leave him here!" Her eyes were pleading. The sadness in them was like a hot knife through his heart.

Assessing the situation, Matt leaned down and threw Taku's body over his left shoulder and staggered to his feet. Grabbing Ehkei's hand in his he led her out of the mansion. Jogging to the woods surrounding the house they ran into the night together.

Over his headset Matt announced to everyone, "We've got the Princess. Leave the premises immediately."


	14. Epilogue: Time Heals All Wounds?

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Death Note or it's characters._  
**Claimer: **_I own Ehkei, Michelle, Aaron, June, and Jackson. _

**Author's Note: **So, here is the final chapter. It's extremely short but it's just to let you know what happens to everyone in the end. I hope you enjoy it. Now that my story has FINALLY come to an end I'm not sure to be relieved that I actually finished a story or annoyed that over a year later I'm just now getting fourteen chapters of it out. I started out so good in the beginning. But somewhere along the way I lost it. So, here's to you, my faithful readers. I only finished this for you guys and my friend Logan Bricker who inspired me to get it done and over with and write out the end. This title is from "The older I get" by Skillet. It was kind of the main theme for this chappy. :) Enjoy.

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**Epilogue: Do You Believe Time Heals All Wounds?**

Two young women stood at the kitchen sink washing the last of the diner dishes. They could hear their children and husbands laughing from the living room. One smiled as she put the last plate in the strainer.

The sky was a deep orange and pink color as the clouds hid the last of sun's rays. A cool breeze blew in from the rocky cliffs on the seashore. The women smiled at each other before turning and heading into the living room.

The shorter blond woman paused only briefly to touch her finger tips to the photograph on the mantle of the fireplace before taking her place beside the shorter red heard male of the two. She kissed his cheek quietly as he played with their eldest son.

"I thin it's time for bed, don't you?" She said to the little blond haired boy.

He gave his mother a shocked look. "No. I wanna stay up!"

The child's father smiled at his son. "Your mother's right. Let's get you cleaned up and into bed alright?"

He pouted and crossed his arms over his chest angrily. Taking it as a sign of defeat the father picked up his child and carried him to the doorway. "You too, Michelle. Bed time." He said to his young daughter. He got up without a word and kissed her mother goodnight before chasing after her father.

"Yes, well, why don't you follow suit and head on to bed then too, Aaron?" The taller brunette woman said to her only child, whom was playing with legos on the floor with his father.

Also sporting a pouting face Aaron stood up and made his way to his room to get ready for bed.

"I'll be in in a minute to tuck you in!" the brunette called after him. "Is there a reason you sent them to bed so early, Ehkei?" the blond male asked once the kids were out of sight.

Ehkeilooked at the photo on the mantle and got up to retrieve it before sitting back down on the floor. She stared at the picture in sadness. "Ten years since Light, Misa, and Matsuda were put in jail. Since the Death Note was destroyed. . . ten years since Taku died." She hugged the frame close to her chest. "I heard from Near that Matsuda will be out this October. Misa and Light are in until they die, but . . Still." She looked to her friends with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, honey." Her friend moved to put her arm around Ehkei's shoulders. "I know it's hard, but it was your decision to put them behind bars instead of writing down their names."

"I know, I know. But still. June, don't you ever worry? You'vegot a kid now. Does it ever cross your mind that another notebook could come into this world? What would you do if it killed your only child?" She looked to June's husband for his reaction. His scared face gave away little. But she had never been good at reading him anyway. "Does it ever make you worry, Mello?"

He lowered his head just as Ehkei's husband came into the room, child free. "What did I miss?" He asked assessing the scene in an instant. He walked to His wife's side and pulled the photograph out of her hands. Wrapping his arms around her he pulled her into a tight embrace. She began to sob lightly. "Sh, sh, It's okay. I'm right here. Nothing is going to happen to us. I promise. I've kept you safe all this time haven't I?" He felt her head nod against his chest.

"Matt. I-I'm sorry. I just got a little emotional. I heard that Matsuda would be out soon. . ."

Matt looked down on his wife and felt sympathy for her. The pain from the death of her brother had not eased over time. He figured a bond as close as their's was one you never fully got over. He pulled her closer to him. "Don't worry. It's alright. Ryuk said he wouldn't be aloud onto the human plane again after all the chaos he had caused the last two times he was here."

"But what about other Shinigami?"

"I don't think you need to worry about that either. Ryuk said no one approved of his dropping his notebook." Mello put in.

Ehkei looked to him silently and pulled back from Matt just in time to see her son standing in the doorway.

"Mommy why are you crying?" Jackson ran to kneel beside her, his eyes concerned.

Ehkei rested her hand on his cheek. "I'm crying because I just love you so much that I can't help but tears of joy that I have you." As proof to her white lie another tear slid down her cheek. She pulled him to her chest and hugged him tightly.

Even though he didn't understand what she had meant fully, Jackson hugged her back. He was sent back to bed shortly after and June and Mello followed shortly after to tuck Aaron into bed.

"Are you going to be alright?" Matt asked once they were alone.

Ehkei nodded into his shoulder. "Yes. After all, I may have lost one important person in my life, but I gained three more in return. I will protect my children with all that I have. I don't know how were going to explain Michelle's eyes to her though. We need to do that soon. She came to me complaining about her vision changing suddenly yesterday. She said she could see her brother's name over his head and "strange numbers" underneath it. I had no idea that my eyes would be passed onto her. I wonder if her daughter will have them too?" she looked down in thought.

Matt smiled and ruffled the blond hair that she now wore long. "One more thing to love about her. We'll figure it out. I think we should tell her the truth. For now we'll make it sound like an old legend or something. When she's old enough, we can tell her the whole truth. As long as I have you we can make it through anything. I promise." He leaned down and kissed her deeply.

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**Author's Note:**So leave me some comments, and tell me what you think. Oh and if you were wondering, Michelle looks like her father, Jackson like his mother, and Aaron like his mother also. I enjoyed writing this story and I hope you liked reading it. If you want to you can give me suggestions as to what to write next and a little critique here and there is always nice. :)


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